Bt 


i 


i 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


RED    CROSS; 


OR, 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND 
AND    WALES. 


A  STORY  OF  TRAVEL  AND  ADVENTURE. 


BY 


OLIVER    OPTIC. 


BOSTON: 

LEE    AND     SHEPARD. 
1869. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by 

WILLIAM   T.   ADAMS, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts 


ELECTROTYPE!)    AT    IH« 

Boston    Stereotype    Foundry, 
Ho.  19  Spring  Lane. 


To  MY  YOUNG  FRIEND 

WILLIAM    INGALLS    MONROE, 

This  Volu/ne 

is 
AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED. 


YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD. 

BY  OLIVER  OPTIC. 

A  Library  of  Travel- and  Adventure  in  Foreign  Lands.  First 
and  Second  Series ;  six  volumes  in  each  Series.  i6mo. 
Illustrated. 

First  Series. 
I.    OUTWARD  BOUND;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  AFLOAT. 

II.  SHAMROCK  AND  THIS TLE;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA     . 

IN  IRELAND  AND  SCOTLAND. 

III.  RED  CROSS ;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  ENGLAND  AND 

WALES. 

IV.  DIKES  AND  DITCHES;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN 

HOLLAND  AND  BELGIUM. 
V.  PALACE  AND    COTTAGE;   OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA 

IN  FRANCE  AND  SWITZERLAND. 

VI.    DOWN    THE    RHINE;    OR,  YOUNG    AMERICA    IN 
GERMANY. 

Second  Series. 

I.    UP  THE  BALTIC;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  DENMARK 

AND  SWEDEN. 

II.  NORTHERN    LANDS;     OR,    YOUNG   AMERICA    IN 
PRUSSIA  AND  RUSSIA. 

III.  VINE  AND   OLIVE;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  SPAIN 

AND  PORTUGAL. 

IV.  SUNNY  SHORES;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  ITALY 

AND  AUSTRIA. 

V.    CROSS  AND    CRESCENT;   OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA 

IN  GREECE  AND  TURKEY. 

VI.   ISLES  OF  THE  SEA ;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  HOME 
WARD  BOUND. 


PREFACE 


RED  CROSS,  the  third  of  the  "  YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD" 
series,  contains  the  history  of  the  Academy  Ship  and  her 
consort,  while  in  the  waters  of  England  and  Wales.  The 
students  visit  London,  Liverpool,  Birmingham,  Manchester, 
Bristol,  Holyhead,  Whitehaven,  Milford  Haven,  Cardiff, 
Cowes,  Hull,  York,  "  Snowdonia,"  the  Lake  District,  and 
other  localities  of  interest.  The  descriptive  portions  of  the 
work  are  derived  from  personal  observation,  and  from  the 
most  reliable  sources  of  information.  England,  so  far  as  a 
knowledge  of  the  country  can  be  obtained  from  the  printed 
page,  is  so  familiar  to  the  American  juvenile  reader,  that 
minute  descriptions  have  been  avoided,  because  the  whole 
volume  would  not  afford  space  enough  for  the  traveller  to 
do  justice  even  to  his  own  ideas  and  impressions. 

Though  the  boys  and  girls  of  our  country  are  supposed  to 
be  familiar  with  the  geography  and  history  of  Great  Britain, 
these  topics  are  very  briefly  touched  upon,  rather  to  refresh 
the  memory  than  with  the  expectation  of  instructing  the 
reader ;  and  they  occupy  less  space  in  this  than  in  the  pre 
ceding  volume  of  the  series. 

If  the  book  had  been  called  "The  Young  Commander,  or 
The  Cruise  of  '  A  Yankee  Ship  and  a  Yankee  Crew,'  the  offi- 
i*  (5) 


6  PREFACE. 

cers,  boys,  and  the  .seamen  too,"  perhaps  it  would  have 
conveyed  a  better  idea  of  the  volume.  The  story  of  Paul 
Kendall,  in  command  of  the  Josephine,  of  his  trials  and 
troubles  as  captain,  and  his  experience  with  rebellious  sea 
men,  is  related,  yet  the  events  which  occurred  on  board  of 
the  Young  America  are  not  neglected.  Though  several  evil 
doers  appear  in  the  narrative,  the  author  is  confident  that 
their  experience  will  prove  far  less  attractive  to  the  youthful 
reader  than  that  of  the  honest,  upright,  and  truthful  students, 
even  when  they  are  reviled  and  laughed  at  by  "  our  fellows." 
While  the  author  trusts  that  the  story  contained  in  RED 
CROSS  will  be  received  with  the  same  favor  as  former  books, 
which  he  has  so  often  gratefully  acknowledged,  he  is  not 
without  the  hope  that  the  young  reader  will  be  improved  in 
mind  and  heart  by  its  perusal. 

HARRISON  SQUARE,  MASS. 
November  29, 1867. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAOB 

I.    ON  BOARD  THE  JOSEPHINE.         .        .        .        .n 

II.      McLEISH   IN  THE    BRIG 2J 

III.  THE  ANCHOR  WATCH *     •        •      43 

IV.  "ALL. HANDS,  ATTEND   LECTURE,  AHOY!"        .      59 
V.    A  GLANCE  AT  LIVERPOOL 76 

VI.    BLUE  LIGHTS  ON  THE  MERSEY.        ...      93 

VII.    OFF  THE  CALF  OF  MAN.  ,  108 

• 
VIII.    CAPTAIN  KENDALL'S  GUESTS.      ....    124 

IX.    GRACE  ARBUCKLE 140 

X.    THE  EXCURSION  TO  CHESTER 156 

XI.    THE  NEW  HAND .173 

XII.  THE  CONSPIRATORS  IN  THE  BRIG.      .                .  189 

XIII.  CAPTAIN  KENDALL'S  STATE-ROOM.      .        .        .  206 

XIV.  THE  KNIGHTS  OF  THE  RED  CROSS.    .        .        .  225 
XV.  A  TRAMP  THOUGH  SNOWDONIA.           .       .       .  243 

(7) 


S  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAOB 

XVI.  THE  BANK  OF  ENGLAND  NOTES.  .  .  .  259 

XVII.  BRISTOL  TO  THE  ISLE  OF  WIGHT.  .  .  .  275 

XVIII.  AROUND  THE  ISLE  OF  WIGHT 292 

XIX.  UP  THE  THAMES 308 

XX.  LONDON.  —  FAREWELL  TO  ENGLAND.  .  .  324 


RED     CROSS 


RED    CROSS; 


OR, 


YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  ENGLAND 
AND   WALES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ON   BOARD    THE  JOSEPHINE. 

ALL  the  crew  of  the  Josephine,  on  deck,  ahoy  !  " 
shouted  the  boatswain  of  the  Young  America, 
on  the  first  day  of  July,  which  was  the  beginning  of  a 
new  term,  while  the  Academy  Ship  lay  in  the  Mersey, 
off  Liverpool. 

"  The  officers  of  the  Josephine  will  prepare  to  go 
on  board  their  ship,"  added  Flag-officer  Gordon. 

The  officers  and  crew  of  the  consort  brought  up 
their  private  property,  and  stood  on  deck  in  readiness 
to  take  possession  of  their  new  floating  home.  They 
were  in  a  state  of  high  excitement,  for  the  novelty  of 
a  new  vessel  filled  their  minds  with  brilliant  expec 
tations.  They  hardly  thought  now  of  the  unvisited 
shores  on  both  sides  of  the  broad  river,  so  overpower 
ing  was  the  interest  created  by  their  appointment  to 
the  trim  little  craft  which  rested  like  a  swan  on  the 
waves,  a  short  distance  from  the  ship. 


12  RED    CROSS,    OR 

It  was  three  months  since  the  Young  America  had 
sailed  from  Brockway,  and  the  students  had,  in  a  very 
hasty  manner,  "done"  Ireland  and  Scotland.  They 
had  seen  a  great  deal,  and  doubtless  learned  some 
thing  of  foreign  sights  and  sounds.  In  a  company 
of  eighty-eight  students,  varying  in  age  from  fourteen 
to  eighteen,  there  was  an  abundance  of  life  and  spirit, 
which,  with  the  diversity  of  taste,  temperament,  and 
character  among  them,  had  laid  the  foundation  for  a 
variety  of  incident  and  adventure.  Besides  the  mi 
nor  events  of  interest  which  occurred  every  day,  three 
of  the  students  had  run  away  from  the  ship  ;  and  this 
was  thus  far  the  most  important  item  in  tRe  history  of 
the  cruise.  But  the  deserters  had  returned,  one  of 
them  voluntarily,  and  the  other  two  by  the  persuasive 
efforts  of  a  couple  of  detectives.  At  the  commence 
ment  of  the  term,  these  latter,  Wilton  and  Monroe, 
were  confined  in  the  brig,  obdurate  and  unrepentant, 
while  Pelham,  whose  pride,  rather  than  his  con 
science,  had  prompted  him  to  purge  himself  of  the 
disgrace  of  being  a  runaway,  had  been  pardoned  in 
consideration  of  his  noble  conduct  in  saving  the  life 
of  a  child,  and  by  extra  effort  had  won  the  position 
of  second  master  of  the  ship's  consort.  If  he  had  not 
absented  himself  from  his  duties,  he  would  probably 
have  been  a  first  or  a  second  lieutenant  of  one  of  the 
vessels.  He  could  be  hardly  said  to  have  reformed, 
since  it. was  disgrace,  rather  than  error,  that  troubled 
him.  But  he  meant  to  do  well,  and  with  a  higher 
principle  he  would  have  been  sure  of  success.  He 
was  a  type  of  many  a  man  in  the  community,  who  is 
kept  in  the  path  of  rectitude  because  it  is  respectable, 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        13 

and  because  crime  is  disreputable,  rather  than  a  sin 
against  God  and  man. 

The  ship's  company  were  all  sons  of  wealthy  men, 
or  of  those  who  had  the  means  to  pay  for  the  expen 
sive  course  of  tuition  in  the  ship.  Many  of  them  were 
wild  boys,  brought  up  in  ease  and  luxury,  and  unac 
customed  to  wholesome  restraint  before  they  joined 
the  academy.  But  the  discipline  of  the  ship  was 
strict,  and  it  was  surprising  that  there  had  been  so 
little  open  mutiny  and  insubordination,  though  there 
were  always  many  daring  spirits  ready  to  break 
through  the  routine  of  the  ship,  and  engage  in  any 
wild  adventure  which  the  moment  suggested.  Mr. 
Lowington,  the  principal,  had  been  careful  to  find 
sufficient  scope,  in  a  proper  way,  for  the  carrying  off 
of  their  surplus  enthusiasm.  Reefing  topsails  in  a 
gale  of  wind  was  a  good  outlet  for  the  daring  spirit. 
As  the  ship  went  from  port  to  port,  and  new  scenes 
were  visited,  the  variety  presented  to  the  students  had 
a  tendency  to  repress  mischievous  inclinations,  and 
render  them  contented  with  their  lot,  submissive  to 
the  regulations,  and  willing  to  perform  the  mental 
and  physical  labor  assigned  to  them. 

There  were  some  exceptions  to  the  general  rule ; 
some  who  were  too  utterly  restless  to  be  satisfied  with 
anything ;  some  who  were  continually  plotting  mis 
chief,  and  watching  for  a  chance  to  overstep  the  line  of 
duty  ;  some  who  could  not  be  contented  unless  they 
were  doing  wrong.  The  ship  had  its  communities  of 
good  and  of  bad  boys ;  as  well  as  the  larger  mass  who 
were  doubtful  and  indifferent,  and  could  be  led  either 
way,  as  circumstances  influenced  them.  The  mutiny 

2 


14  RED    CROSS,    OR 

which  had  been  projected  on  the  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic  would  doubtless  have  numbered  a  majority 
in  its  ranks  if  the  -leaders  had  been  skilful,  and  the 
affair  better  managed.  The  runaways,  if  they  had 
dared  to  invite  others  to  join  them,  could  probably 
have  taken  half  the  crew  with  them,  had  the  circum 
stances  been  favorable.  Yet  there  were  many  young 
men  of  high  principle  and  noble  lives  among  them  — 
more  perhaps  than  could  have  been  expected  in  a 
company  of  boys  gathered  as  the  students  of  the 
Young  America  had  been. 

While  the  ship  was  in  the  Clyde,  Mr.  Lowington 
had  received  as  a  pupil,  at  the  urgent  solicitation  of 
his  father,  a  Scotch  boy,  who  had  been  several  times 
expelled  from  school  for  misconduct.  Arthur  McLeish 
was  a  "  hard  boy  "  in  the  strongest  sense  of  the  term. 
He  had  been  disciplined  for  insubordination  and  diso 
bedience,  and  had  spent  a  long  time  in  the  brig,  from 
which  he  had  been  released  on  his  promise  to  do  his 
duty  faithfully.  But  the  evil  spirit  had  not  been  driven 
out  of  him,  and  there  was  a  mountain  of  trouble  be 
fore  him  for  the  officers  and  himself. 

The  press  of  applications  for  admission  to  the  Acad 
emy  Ship  before  her  departure  for  the  United  States 
had  induced  Mr.  Lowington  to  procure  another  vessel ; 
and  the  Josephine  had  been  built  to  his  order.  She 
had  just  arrived  at  Liverpool,  and  the  new  students 
were  expected  in  the  next  steamer.  The  vessel,  on 
board  the  ship,  was  oftener  called  the  "  consort "  than 
by  any  other  name.  She  was  to  accommodate  nine 
officers  and  twenty-four  seamen  at  present,  though 
she  had  berths  for  a  crew  of  thirty-six,  besides  two 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        15 

instructors,  a  boatswain,  carpenter,  cook,  and  three 
stewards.  The  officers  had  been  appointed  by  the 
merit  roll,  and  one  seaman  in  every  three,  as  the 
names  came  on  the  list,  was  detailed  for  service  in 
the  Josephine.  The  crew  were  taken  in  this  manner 
because  there  was  a  general  desire  among  the  students 
to  be  attached  to  the  consort,  and  the  principal,  in 
this  matter  as  in  all  others,  was  strictly  impartial. 
The  crew  were  not  selected ;  they  went  by  lot,  as 
their  names  appeared  on  the  list,  and  no  one  could 
complain. 

This  method  sent  many  notoriously  bad  boys  into 
the  Josephine,  including  Sanborn,  Grossbeck,  Tem- 
pleton,  and  McLeish,  who  had  particularly  distin 
guished  themselves  by  their  misconduct.  Mr.  Low- 
ington  was  strongly  tempted  to  interfere  with  the  lot 
in  the  case  of  the  Scotch  boy,  but  as  his  offence  had 
been  against  the  principal  personally,  he  was  too  mag 
nanimous  to  do  so.  He  was  willing  to  let  him  take 
his  chance,  as  the  understanding  was,  that  any  student 
who  did  not  behave  well  might  be  returned  to  the 
ship,  and  another  sent  to  the  consort  in  his  place. 
Those  of  "  our  fellows,"  as  certain  evil-disposed  boys 
had  chosen  to  call  themselves,  who  were  detailed 
for  duty  in  the  Josephine,  were  glad  to  escape  from 
the  immediate  supervision  of  the  principal ;  for  the 
Josephine  was  to  be  in  actual  command  of  her  offi 
cers,  the  instructors  on  board  having  no  authority 
outside  of  the  academic  department.  The  boatswain 
and  the  carpenter  were  the  only  adult  seamen  on 
board. 

The  two  instructors  who  were  to  sail  in  the  consort 


l6  RED    CROSS,   OR 

were  to  arrive  by  steamer  in  charge  of  the  new  schol- 
ars.  They  were  men  of  extensive  and  varied  learning. 
One  of  them  —  Professor  Hamblin  —  was  quite  cele 
brated  as  a  scholar,  and  had  spent  his  life  as  a  pro 
fessor  in  a  college ;  but  his  health  failing  him,  he  had 
taken  this  position  in  order  to  obtain  the  benefit  of  sea 
air  and  foreign  travel,  without  sacrificing  the  income 
he  needed  for  his  family.  He  was  fifty  years  old,  tall, 
and  spare,  with  a  thin  face,  and  a  head  partially  cov 
ered  with  reddish-gray  hair.  He  was  exceedingly 
formal  and  precise  in  everything  he  said  and  did. 
His  associate,  Professor  Stoute,  was  short,  fat,  and 
forty,  noted  as  a  teacher,  rather  than  a  great  scholar. 

With  this  statement  of  the  condition  of  affairs  on 
board  the  ship,  the  reader  is  prepared  to  follow  the 
students  in  their  progress  on  ship  and  shore. 

The  officers  and  crew  of  the  Josephine  stood  upon 
the  deck  of  the  Young  America,  waiting  for  the  order 
to  embark  in  the  boats.  Shoulder-straps  and  gold 
bands  had  been  readjusted,  so  that  all  the  officers  of 
both  vessels  now  appeared  in  their  appropriate  uni 
forms.  Flag-officer  Gordon  wore  six  gold  bands  on 
his  arms,  and  his  shoulder-straps  contained  three  an 
chors,  which  was  one  more  than  designated  the  two 
captains. 

The  first  and  second  cutters  conveyed  the  crew,  and 
the  captain's  gig  the  officers,  with  Mr.  Lowington  and 
Dr.  Winstock.  A  short  pull  brought  them  alongside 
the  Josephine,  but  only  those  attached  to  her  were 
permitted  to  go  on  board ;  whereat  the  crews  of  the 
gig  and  cutters  grumbled  like  old  sailors,  for  they 
were  curious  to  see  the  new  vessel. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        lj 

"  The  officers  and  crew  of  the  Josephine  are  not 
ready  to  receive  company  yet,"  Mr.  Lowington  re 
plied  to  the  requests  for  permission  to  go  on  board. 
"  When  they  have  put  their  ship  in  order,  you  shall 
have  an  opportunity  to  visit  her." 

"Isn't  she  a  beauty?"  exclaimed  Captain  Paul 
Kendall,  as  he  stepped  upon  the  deck  of  his  crafU 

"Magnificent!"  replied  George  Terrill,  his  first 
lieutenant.  "  She  is  as  nice  as  a  new  pin  !  " 

"  I  feel  just  as  though  I  should  go  up,"  said  Paul, 
turning  to  his  friend  the  doctor,  and  speaking  ia  a 
confidential  tone. 

kk  Don't  do  it,  captain,"  laughed  Dr.  Winstock. 
"  Remember  that  you  are  the  captain  of  the  ship, 
and  you  don't  go  aloft." 

"  I  shall  not  see  much  of  you  now,  doctor." 

"  Not  so  much  as  before  ;  but  I  am  surgeon-general 
of  the  fleet,  and  it  will  be  my  duty  to  look  after  the  san 
itary  condition  of  both  vessels.  I  shall  visit  you  often." 

"  I  hope  you  will,"  replied  Paul,  as  he  glanced  over 
the  deck  of  the  Josephine. 

The  plan  of  her  construction  was  similar  to  that  of 
the  Young  America,  except  that  she  had  a  camboose 
abaft  the  foremast,  containing  the  cook's  galley.  The 
bulwarks  were  not  more  than  three  feet  high,  and  the 
students  could  see  over  them,  which  was  not  the  case 
in  the  ship.  Except  the  skylights,  the  camboose,  and 
the  companion-ways,  there  was  nothing  to  obstruct 
the  deck.  There  were  four  sets  of  quarter  davits  at 
which  hung  two  six-oar  and  two  four-oar  life-boats. 
Like  the  ship,  her  spars  were  light  and  adapted  to 
the  use  for  which  she  was  intended. 


l8  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Mr.  Lowington  sent  the  cutters  to  convey  Captain 
Bean  and  the  sailors  who  had  come  over  in  the  Jose 
phine  to  the  shore.  The  boatswain  and  carpenter, 
cook  and  stewards,  remained,  and  no  one  was  now 
on  board  except  the  principal  and  the  doctor,  that 
was  not  attached  to  the  consort. 

"  Now,  young  gentlemen,  I  will  show  you  the  ves 
sel,  and  assign  your  berths,"  said  Mr.  Lowington  to 
the  officers.  "  The  crew  will  remain  on  deck.  Boat 
swain,  close  the  fore  hatch." 

The  principal  descended  the  companion-way  to  the 
cabin  of  the  schooner.  The  first  apartment  reached 
was  large  and  richly  furnished.  There  were  no  state 
rooms  on  the  sides,  as  in  the  Young  America,  and  the 
berths  were  draped  in  front  with  heavy  hangings  or 
curtains.  By  this  arrangement  the  space  was  econo 
mized,  so  as  to  afford  a  much  larger  cabin,  though 
its  occupants  could  not  enjoy  the  luxury  of  private 
rooms.  This  cabin  contained  twelve  berths,  eight  of 
which  Mr.  Lowington  proceeded  to  assign  to  the  lieu 
tenants  and  masters,  leaving  four  unoccupied. 

"  This  is  the  captain's  state-room,"  said  the  princi 
pal,  opening  a  door  in  the  forward  part  of  the  cabin, 
on  the  starboard  side. 

Paul  entered  this  room,  which  contained  but  one 
berth,  and  all  the  appliances  for  utility  and  comfort 
found  in  the  corresponding  apartment  in  the  ship. 
On  the  port  side  there  was  a  similar  room  with  two 
berths  for  the  professors.  Between  them  was  a  pas 
sage-way  leading  to  the  steerage,  and  two  pantries, 
one  for  the  cabin  and  the  other  for  the  steerage.  In 
the  Josephine  officers  and  professors  were  to  mess 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        19 

together.  Passing  into  the  steerage,  they  found  an 
apartment  similar  to  the  main  cabin.  It  was  seven 
feet  high,  with  three  tiers  of  berths  on  each  side, — 
thirty-six  in  all.  It  was  in  about  the  same  style  as 
the  steeiage  of  the  ship. 

Forward  of  this  was  the  forecastle,  divided  fore  and 
aft  into  two  rooms,  one  for  the  boatswain,  carpenter, 
and  head  steward,  the  other  for  the  cook  and  under 
stewards.  Below  the  berth-deck  was  the  hold,  about 
five  feet  deep,  which  contained  the  water-tanks,  store 
rooms,  and  cable  tiers. 

After  the  principal  had  shown  the  officers  through 
the  vessel,  he  conducted  them  back  to  the  cabin. 

"  Captain  Kendall,"  said  he,  "  I  shall  now  take  my 
leave  of  you.  The  Josephine  is  in  your  charge,  and 
from  what  I  know  of  you,  I  am  confident  you  will 
discharge  your  difficult  duty  acceptably  to  me  and 
creditably  to  yourself." 

"  But,  Mr.  Lowington,  you  have  given  me  no  or 
ders,"  replied  Paul. 

"  Put  your  ship  in  order,  give  your  officers  and 
crew  their  stations,  and  make  such  regulations  as  you 
think  proper.  You  and  your  officers  will  go  on  deck 
with  me,  and  after  I  have  spoken  a  word  to  your 
crew,  I  will  leave  you." 

Captain  Kendall  was  rather  surprised  to  find  him 
self  so  much  his  own  master;  but  he  followed  the 
principal  on  deck.  A  quarter-master  was  ordered  to 
run  the  ensign  up  to  the  peak,  and  the  ship  was  de 
clared  to  be  in  commission.  Mr.  Lowington  spoke  to 
the  crew,  putting  them  on  their  good  behavior,  and 
urging  them  to  be  prompt,  obedient,  and  studious. 


2O  RED    CROSS,    OR 

I 

He  and  Dr.  Winstock  then  went  over  the  side  into 
their  boats,  and  returned  to  the  ship. 

Paul  looked  at  his  officers  who  stood  around  him 
on  the  quarter-deck,  and  more  than  ever  before  in  his 
llife  he  realized  what  it  was  to  have  a  heavy  respon 
sibility  resting  upon  him.  He  had  expected  the  assist 
ance  of  the  principal  and  Mr.  Fluxion  —  both  of  them 
familiar  with  all  the  details  of  the  naval  service  —  in 
establishing  the  discipline  of  the  ship,  in  making  out 
the  station  bills,  and  in  arranging  the  watches  and 
quarter  watches.  No  such  help  was  to  be  given  ;  and 
as  the  young  commander  glanced  at  his  crew,  \S'ho 
were  impatiently  waiting  for  orders,  he  saw  among 
them  some  of  the  most  turbulent  spirits  of  the  ship, 
some  whom  he  recognized  as  "  our  fellows,"  and 
especially  he  noticed  the  villanous  face  of  Arthur 
McLeish. 

Captain  Kendall  was  equal  to  the  position  in  which 
he  found  himself  placed.  If  he  had  not  been,  he 
would  not  have  been  there.  It  was  not  possible  for 
any  young  man  in  the  institution  to  reach  a  high  posi 
tion  without  being  a  good  seaman  as  well  as  a  good 
scholar.  More  than  this,  he  would  not  have  been  left 
alone  to  organize  his  crew,  if  he  had  not  been  deemed 
entirely  competent  by  the  principal. 

"  We  have  work  to  do,"  said  he  with  energy,  after  he 
had  glanced  about  him  for  a  moment.  "  Mr.  Terrill." 

The  first  lieutenant  stepped  forward  and  touched 
his  cap. 

"  You  will  pipe  the  crew  below,  and  have  them 
draw  lots  for  berths.  Mr.  Robinson  and  Mr.  Pelham 
will  assist  you,"  added  the  captain,  as  he  walked  aft. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       21 

In  the  matter  of  orders,  he  was  disposed  to  do  as 
he  would  be  done  by  ;  for  nothing  is  more  annoying 
to  a  sensible  inferior,  fit  for  his  position,  than  to  be 
told  how  to  do  a  thing,  or  to  have  his  superior  stand 
suspiciously  near  to  observe  its  execution.  Paul 
felt  that  he  must  have  confidence  in  his  officers  in 
order  to  keep  them  worthy  of  confidence.  He  de 
scended  the  companion-way,  and  took  a  further  sur 
vey  of  the  cabin.  He  might  have  been  excused  if  he 
had  been  a  little  airy,  for  his  position  was  vastly  more 
responsible  than  that  of  the  captain  of  the  Young 
America,  though  he  commanded  a  smaller  force. 

While  he  was  in  the  cabin  Pelham  came  down  to 
prepare  the  papers  for  the  lot.  Presently  the  pipe  of 
the  boatswain  was  heard  on  deck,  which  assured  Paul 
that  Terrill  was  executing  his  order.  He  determined 
to  keep  out  of  the  way  till  the  crew  had  been  berthed, 
and  he  went  into  his  cabin,  closing  the  door  behind 
him.  He  was  amazed  and  bewildered  by  his  grand 
position.  A  boy  of  sixteen  in  command  of  a  topsail 
schooner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  tons,  with  thirty- 
three  officers  and  seamen  under  him,  to  say  nothing  of 
half  a  dozen  men  !  The  two  anchors  on  his  shoulder- 
straps  had  a  real  meaning  in  his  case. 

But  in  spite  of  the  glory  of  his  rank  and  the  great 
ness  of  his  power,  there  was  much  in  the  circum- 
staaces  that  surrounded  him  to  make  him  tremble. 
What  if  that  brutal  and  turbulent  McLeish  should 
take  it  into  his  head  to  be  obstinate  and  disobedient! 
Paul  hoped  he  would  not  do  anything  of  the  kind  ; 
but  if  he  did,  he  was  determined  to  maintain  the  dis 
cipline  of  the  ship.  What  if  a  dozen  or  more  of  the 


22  RED    CROSS,    OR 

uneasy  fellows  in  his  crew  should  combine  to  resist 
their  officers !  While  the  young  captain  dreaded 
such  an  event,  he  was  prepared  to  do  what  he  fully 
believed  to  be  his  duty.  He  had  enough  to  think  of, 
and  needed  all  the  strength  of  character  he  possessed 
to  sustain  him  in  his  difficult  task. 

When  the  boatswain  piped  the  crew  below,  they 
found  the  third  lieutenant  stationed  at  the  hatch  to  see 
that  they  went  down  in  order ;  but  the  students  were 
too  much  interested  in  the  vessel  to  think  of  mischief 
thus  early  in  their  experience  on  board.  They  went 
below  quietly,  and  Terrill  stated  the  business  of  the 
hour,  and  explained  how  it  was  to  be  done. 

"  Mr.  Terrill,"  said  McLeish,  touching  his  cap  as 
he  stepped  up  to  the  first  lieutenant,  "  Rossfeldt  is  a 
particular  friend  of  mine,  and  I  would  like  a  berth 
next  to  him,  if  you  please." 

Certainly  the  Scotch  lad's  manners  had  been  mar 
vellously  improved  since  he  came  on  board,  for  he 
spoke  politely  and  observed  all  the  required  forms. 

"  It  is  the  captain's  order  that  the  crew  be  berthed 
by  lot,  and  of  course  no  exceptions  can  be  made,"  re 
plied  Terrill,  mildly.  "  You  will  all  draw  a  number, 
and  you  will  all  choose  your  berths  in  the  order  of 
the  numbers  drawn." 

McLeish  scowled  a  little,  but  he  made  no  reply. 
Pelham  presently  appeared  with  the  numbers  on  slips 
of  paper.  The  first  lieutenant  observed  some  whis 
pering  among  the  crew,  and  he  knew  that  it  was 
"  second  nature "  with  some  of  them  to  endeavor  to 
defeat  the  impartiality  of  the  lot. 

"Mr.  Pelham,  you  will  be   seated  at  one  of  the 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        23 

mess-tables,  if  you  please,  and  the  crew  will  pass  in 
single  file  before  you,"  said  Terrill. 

Pelham  seated  himself  as  directed,  and  Wheeler, 
the  boatswain,  was  the  first  one  to  draw  a  number. 

"  Mr.  Robinson,  will  you  take  a  seat  opposite  Mr. 
Pelham,  and  write  the  name  of  each  one  on  the  paper 
he  draws?"  added  Terrill. 

"  Confound  him  !  "  exclaimed  McLeish,  in  a  whis 
per  ;  for  he  had  already  agreed  with  half  a  dozen  of 
"our  fellows"  to  exchange  numbers  with  them,  if  his 
own  did  not  come  next  to  Rossfeldt's. 

The  third  lieutenant  wrote  Wheeler's  name  against 
the  number  he  had  drawn,  which  rendered  it  impos 
sible  for  the  students  to  exchange  the  slips  they  drew, 
and  certain  little  schemes  were  thus  defeated.  When 
each  student  had  drawn  a  slip,  No.  i  was  called  to 
the  table,  and  when  he  had  selected  his  berth,  his 
name  was  entered  on  the  ship's  book,  and  the  num 
ber  of  his  berth  was  also  his  ship's  number.  Rossfeldt 
and  McLeish  were  separated,  in  spite  of  their  united 
e'ffbrts  to  get  together. 

"  I'm  no  satisfied  with  this  lot,"  said  McLeish  to  the 
first  lieutenant,  when  the  berths  were  all  assigned. 

"  It  can't  be  helped  if  you  are  not,"  replied  Ter 
rill. 

"  What's  the  hairm  of  my  being  next  to  Rossfeldt?  " 
demanded  the  new  scholar. 

"No  harm  that  I  am  aware  of;  but  you  didn't  hap 
pen  to  draw  a  berth  next  to  him,"  answered  the  first 
lieutenant,  moving  towards  the  cabin. 

"  I'll  no  stand  it !  " 

"  Shut  up  !  "  interposed  Rossfeldt,  in  a  whisper. 


24  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I'll  not  shut  up.  I'm  not  to  be  put  down  by  these 
bits  of  nobs,"  said  McLeish,  angrily. 

"  You  have  said  enough,  and  I  shall  report  you  to 
the  captain,"  added  Terrill. 

"  Will  you,  indeed?  —  will  you?  "  continued  the  rep 
robate,  placing  himself  between  Ten-ill  and  the  pas 
sage-way  which  led  to  the  cabin.  "  I'll  show  you 
what  a  MacGregor  is  made  of,  and  ye'll  find  ye 
canna  insult  him." 

McLeish  doubled  up  his  fists,  and  it  was  evident  that 
he  intended  to  "  pitch  into  "  the  first  lieutenant.  Ter 
rill,  though  sixteen  years  of  age,  was  quite  slender  in 
his  frame  ;  but  his  eye  flashed  when  he  saw  the  rebel 
in  the  attitude  of  defiance  before  him.  The  rest  of 
the  crew,  even  those  who  were  the  most  inclined  to 
turbulence,  utterly  disapproved  of  the  stupid  demon 
stration  of  McLeish,  and,  to  avoid  any  suspicion  of 
supporting  him,  remained  near  the  berths  they  had 
just  selected.  Robinson  and.  Pelham  kept  close  to 
the  first  lieutenant,  ready  to  assist  him,  physically  or 
morally,  as  the  occasion  might  require. 

"  Get  out  of  my  way  !  "  said  Terrill,  sharply. 

"  I'll  no  get  out  of  your  way." 

Quicker  than  a  flash,  Terrill  sprang  upon  him, 
without  any  preliminary  demonstration,  and  gave  him 
a  blow  in  the  face  which  felled  him  to  the  deck,  where 
he  struck  with  a  hard  crack  on  the  back  of  the  head. 
McLeish,  boiling  over  with  passion,  regained  his  feet, 
and  rushed  upon  the  first  lieutenant  with  a  fury  which 
threatened  to  annihilate  him.  But  Terrill  was  cool, 
and  though  he  was  hit  two  or  thi'ee  times,  he  suc 
ceeded  in  planting  another  heavy  blow  on  the  mouth 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.        25 

of  the  rebel,  which  knocked  in  one  of  his  front  teeth, 
and  threw  him  back  against  the  bulkhead.  The  lieu 
tenant  sprang  upon  him,  and,  grasping  him  by  the 
throat,  bore  him  down,  and  put  his  knee  upon  his 
breast,  so  that  he  could  not  move. 

"  Come  over  here  and  halp  me,  ye  cowards ! " 
shouted  the  prostrate  rebel,  struggling  to  free  himself 
from  the  grasp  of  his  conqueror. 

As  this  affray  occurred  near  the  captain's  state 
room,  his  vision  of  glory  was  disturbed  by  the  noise 
of  the  scuffle,  and  he  hastened  to  the  steerage  to  learn 
the  cause  of  the  disturbance.  He  found  McLeish 
lying  on  the  deck,  held  down  by  Terrill ;  and  it  was 
evident  that  the  authority  of  the  ship  had  been  fully 
vindicated  by  her  executive  officer.  Terrill  choked 
the  rebel  till  his  breath  came  hard,  and  then  he  begged 
to  be  "  let  up."  He  was  permitted  to  rise. 

"  If  you  speak  another  impudent  word,  I'll  knock 
you  down  again,"  said  Terrill,  panting  with  the  vio 
lence  of  his  exertion. 

McLeish,  wiping  the  blood  from  his  mouth,  sneaked 
off  to  his  berth. 

"  This  way,  McLeish,"  said  the  captain.  "  You 
have  made  a  bad  beginning,  and  your  stay  on  board 
of  the  Josephine  will  be  short,"  he  added,  as  the  rebel 
approached  him. 

"  He  didn't  fight  fair,"  replied  McLeish,  who  seemed 
to  be  more  astonished  at  his  o\vn  defeat  than  at  any 
thing  else,  and  claimed  "  a  foul,"  as  bullies  usually  do 
when  overcome. 

"  Fight  fair  !  "  exclaimed  Paul,  in  disgust.  "  You 
will  hold  yourself  in  readiness  to  return  to  the  ship. 
3 


26  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Mr.  Terrill,  was  any  other  seaman  concerned  in  this 
demonstration  ?  " 

"No  other  took  any  part  in  it,"  replied  the  fine 
lieutenant.  "McLeish  was  dissatisfied  with  his  berth, 
and  when  I  declined  to  change  his  place,  he  got  mad, 
and  when  I  threatened  to  report  him  to  you,  would 
not  let  me  pass  into  the  cabin.  I  knocked  him  down 
then." 

"  You  did  quite  right,"  added  the  captain,  decidedly, 
as  he  walked  into  the  cabin,  followed  by  the  officers. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES. 


CHAPTER    II. 

MCLEISH>  IN    THE    BRIG. 

THE  officers  of  the  Josephine  were  not  a  little 
annoyed  by  the  event  which  had  occurred  in  the 
steerage.  They  looked  grave  and  thoughtful,  fearing, 
perhaps,  that  this  case  of  sharp  discipline  would  pro 
duce  an  unfavorable  impression  upon  the  mind  of  the 
principal,  and  abridge  the  experiment  of  self-govern 
ment  which  was  in  process  of  trial  on  board  the 
schooner.  Though  a  consultation  had  not  been  for 
mally  called  for,  all  seemed  to  feel  the  need  of  com 
paring  views  and  opinions. 

The  captain  seated  himself  at  the  table,  and  the 
others  followed  his  example.  They  all  looked  very 
sober,  and  even  troubled.  All  but  two  of  them  had 
been  cabin  officers  in  the  Young  America,  and  nine 
better  fellows  could  not  have  been  selected  from  the 
students.  The  officers  were  as  follows  :  — 

PAUL  KENDALL,    Captain, 

George  W.  Terrill,  First  Lieutenant. 

Henry  Martyn,  Second         " 

Mark  Robinson,  Third          " 

John  Humphreys,  Fourth         " 


28  RED.  CROSS,    OR 

Andrew  Groom,  First  Master. 

Augustus  Pelham,  Second     "  % 

Amos  Ritchie,  Third      " 

Reuben  Lockwood,  Fourth     w 

"  This  is  a  bad  beginning  for  all  of  us,"  said  Cap 
tain  Kendall. 

"  I  think  it  is  a  good  beginning,"  added  Robinson. 

"  So  do  I,"  responded  Pelham  ;  "  nothing  could  be 
better." 

"  I  am  sorry  this  trouble  happened  so  soon,"  con 
tinued  the  captain.  "  I  don't  think  Mr.  Lowington  will 
wish  to  have  such  an  event  occur  very  often." 

"  I  couldn't  help  it,  Captain  Kendall,"  interposed 
Terrill.  "  I  was  obliged  to  do  something,  or  let  the 
fellow  ride  over  me." 

"You  did  perfectly  right,  Mr.  Terrill.  I  entirely 
approve  of  your  conduct,  and  am  very  much  obliged 
to  you  for  the  firmness  and  decision  with  which  you 
maintained  your  authority  and  the  discipline  of  the 
ship.  I  should  have  don.e  just  what  you  did,  if  I  had 
been  in  your  place,"  added  Paul,  heartily. 

"  Nothing  could  be  better  than  Mr.  Ten-ill's  beha 
vior,"  said  the  third  lieutenant.  "  He  was  master  of 
the  situation  in  the  beginning,  and  held  his  ground  to 
the  last.  I  stood  ready  to  help  him,  but  he  did  not 
need  any  help." 

"  So  did  I,"  added  Pelham.  "  I  wanted  to  get  my 
hand  on  the  rascal,  but  the  first  lieutenant  gave  us  no 
chance  to  do  anything." 

"  It  is  better  as  it  is,"  continued  the  captain.  "  Mr. 
Terrill  has  proved  that  he  is  not  a  child,  and  even  Me- 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        29 

LeJsh  will  understand  what  he  is  made  of.  This  is  a 
very  disagreeable  affair,  but  it  could  not  have  been 
avoided.  I  do  not  like  to  call  on  Mr.  Lowington  so 
soon  for  assistance,  but  I  suppose  we  must  report 
McLeish's  conduct  to  him." 

"  Not  on  my  account,"  interposed  the  first  lieutenant. 
"  If  he  don't  obey  orders,  I  shall  make  him  do  so.  I 
feel  abundantly  able  to  take  care  of  him,  so  far  as  I 
am  concerned." 

Paul  smiled  as  he  glanced  at  the  slender  form  and 
rather  pale  face  of  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Have  we  a  brig  on  board?"  he  asked. 

"We  have,"  replied  Martyn,  the  second  lieutenant: 
"  there  is  a  three-cornered  room  next  to  the  forecastle, 
opposite  the  steerage  closet." 

"  It  will  not  do  to  let  McLeish  run  at  large  after  his 
bad  conduct.  Mr.  Terrill,  you  will  commit  him  to  the 
brig,  and  we  will  settle  the  question  of  reporting  him 
at  another  time.  You  may  call  Mr.  Cleats,  the  boat 
swain,  to  assist  you,  if  you  choose. 

"  I  do  not  need  his  help,"  replied  Terrill.  "  If  Mr. 
Pelham  will  go  with  me,  it  will  be  sufficient." 

"  Mr.  Pelham  will  go  with  you,"  said  the  captain. 

Terrill,  as  resolute  as  though  his  nerves  had  been 
made  of  iron,  went  into  the  steerage,  attended  by  Pel- 
ham.     The   crew  appeared   to  be   busy  in  arranging 
their  lockers  and  berths,  and  in  exploring  their  new 
quarters.     The  first  lieutenant  proceeded  to  the  part 
of  the  steerage  indicated  by  Martyn  as  the  locality  of 
the  "  brig."     There  were  two  bulkheads  between  the 
'  steerage  and  the  forecastle,  one  extending  square  across 
the  between-decks  of  the  vessel,  and  the  other  at  right 
3* 


3O  RED    CROSS,    OR 

angles  with  the  schooner's  side,  whe*re  it  rounded  in 
near  the  bow,  thus  saving  a  space  of  three  feet  next  to 
the  ceiling,  which  was  not  needed  in  the  forecastle. 
The  brig  was  simply  u  closet,  with  a  door  made  of 
hard  wood  slats. 

The  first  lieutenant  took  the  key  from  the  door,  and 
assured  himself  that  the  place  was  in  condition  for  the 
reception  of  the  prisoner.  It  contained  a  stool,  and 
there  was  space  enough  for  a  mattress  on  the  deck 
within  it. 

"  McLeish,"  called  he,  in  decided  tones. 
"  Here,  sir,"  replied  the  rebel,  who  had  cooled  off 
since  the  affray,  as  he  walked  towards  the  first  lieu 
tenant." 

"  By  the  order  of  the  captain,  you  will  be  committed 
to  the  brig." 

"In  there  —  is  it?"  asked  McLeish,  glancing  into 
the  brig. 

"  In  there.  Will  you  go  in,  or  shall  I  put  you  in?" 
demanded  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  It  seems  to  me  you  have  all  come  off  here  to  this 
vessel  for  the  purpose  of  insulting  me,"  growled  he. 

"  No  words  !  Will  you  go  in,  or  shall  we  put 
you  in  ? " 

McLeish  was  deliberating  whether  to  obey  or  re 
sist.  He  had  derived  no  comfort  from  his  shipmates 
in  the  steerage,  after  the  officers  went  into  the  cabin. 
They  had  simply  told  him  he  was  a  fool  to  make  a 
row  with  the  officers  for  nothing;  and  some  of  them, 
seeing  how  easily  he  had  been  whipped  by  the  first 
lieutenant,  were  disposed  to  pound  him  on  their  own 
hook  for  his  folly,  and  for  compromising  them  by  his 
misconduct. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        3! 

u  If  you  want  any  help,  Mr.  Terrill,  we  are  all 
ready  to  obey  orders,"  said  one  of  the  crew,  "  for  we 
don't  approve  of  his  conduct." 

"  I  do  not  need  any  help,"  replied  Terrill. 

"  You  are  hard  on  me,  lieutenant,"  added  McLeish, 
fretfully,  as  he  stepped  forward  towards  the  door  of 
his  prison. 

Instead  of  going  in,  as  his  movement  indicated,  he 
suddenly  sprang  upon  the  first  lieutenant,  intending  to 
take  him  by  surprise,  and  have  his  revenge  ;  but  Pel- 
ham  seized  him  by  the  collar,  and  crowded  him  into 
the  brig.  The  door  was  closed  upon  him,  and  locked. 
The  rebel  was  safe  now,  and  the  officers  returned  to 
the  cabin.  Terrill  reported  to  the  captain  the  execu 
tion  of  his  order. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  get  rid  of  that  fellow  as 
soon  as  possible,"  said  Groom,  the  first  master. 

"  We  have  him  in  the  right  place  now,"  replied 
Pelham. 

"  Mr.  Lowington  gave  me  no  orders  in  regard  to 
reporting  such  cases  to  him,"  added  Paul.  "  I  don't 
like  to  call  in  any  help  in  governing  the  crew,  at  least 
before  the  ship's  company  are  organized." 

"  Do  you  feel  obliged  to  report  this  case  to  the  prin 
cipal?"  asked  Terrill. 

"  I  shall  certainly  inform  Mr.  Lowington  what  has 
happened,  when  I  see  him  ;  but  I  was  not  ordered  to 
give  immediate  notice  of  any  trouble  on  board.  I 
have  concluded  to  say  nothing  about  it  at  present,  and 
we  will  proceed  to  organize.  The  principal  told  us, 
in  his  speech  yesterday,  that  one  of  the  objects  of  the 
Josephine  was  to  afford  the  students  an  opportunity 


32  RED    CROSS,    OR 

to  cultivate  the  virtue  of  self-reliance  ;  and  if  a  turbu 
lent  seaman  is  not  one  of  the  paths  to  the  attainment 
of  confidence,  I  don't  know  what  is.  He  expects  the 
officers  to  govern  the  ship,  and  keep  up  strict  disci 
pline.  We  have  done  so  thus  far,  and  we  will  depend 
upon  ourselves.  Mr.  Terrill,  you  will  pipe  to  muster, 
if  you  please." 

The  first  lieutenant  went  on  deck,  and  presently  the 
pipe  of  the  boatswain  was  heard.  All  the  officers 
went  on  deck,  and  took  their  stations.  As  all  the  sea 
men  were  well  known,  there  was  little  difficulty  in  as 
signing  to  them  their  places  aloft  and  on  deck.  *  The 
Josephine  carried  only  a  fore  topsail,  fore  top-gallant 
sail,  and  a  gaff  topsail  on  the  main  mast,  and  only  a 
few  top  men  were  needed.  The  lightest  and  smartest 
were  stationed  aloft,  while  the  heavy,  strong  fel 
lows  were  placed  at  the  halyards,  brails,  and  sheets. 
The  petty  officers  had  all  been  appointed  on  board 
of  the  ship,  according  to  the  merit  roll.  Though  the 
schooner  was  provided  with  four  boats,  only  two  cox 
swains  were  selected ;  the  choice  of  the  other  two 
being  left  until  the  vessel  was  fully  manned. 

At  twelve  o'clock  the  organization  of  the  ship's 
company  was  completed,  and  all  hands  piped  to  din 
ner.  The  chief  steward  was  very  attentive  to  the 
young  gentlemen  in  the  cabin,  and  they  enjoyed  their 
first  dinner  on  board  ;  and,  indeed,  everything  relating 
to  their  personal  comfort  was  entirely  satisfactory.  In 
the  steerage,  the  crew  were  not  less  delighted  with  their 
accommodations. 

After  dinner  the  crew  were  piped  on  deck  again, 
and  drilled'  in  making  and  furling  sail,  and  in  all  the 


YOUNP    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALKS.        33 

evolutions  of  seamanship  required  in  handling  the 
schooner.  The  boats  were  lowered,  and  their  crews 
required  to  become  familiar  with  them  ;  but  they  were 
all  experienced  rowers,  and  needed  no  special  train 
ing.  Before  night  Captain  Kendall  was  satisfied  that 
his  ship's  company  were  in  condition  to  work  the  ves 
sel,  and  nothing  would  have  suited  him  better  than  an 
order  to  go  to  sea.  A  hard  day's  work  had  been  done, 
both  by  the  occupants  of  the  cabin  and  the  steerage, 
and  all  hands  were  tired  enough  to  rest  after  the  fa 
tigue  and  excitement  of  the  drill. 

The  officers  spent  a  pleasant  evening  in  the  cabin, 
talking  over  the  events  of  the  day,  discussing  the 
merits  of  the  Josephine,  and  anticipating  the  pleasure 
of  sailing  her. 

"  I  think  we  ought  to  make  a  trial  trip  in  her,"  said 
Terrill.  "  We  don't  know  whether  we  can  handle 
her  or  not." 

u  Probably  we  shall  have  a  chance  to  test  the  Jo 
sephine's  qualities  before  many  days,"  added  the 
captain. 

"  If  Mr.  Lowington  wishes  us  to  have  confidence  in 
ourselves,  he  must  send  us  to  sea,"  laughed  Pelham. 

"Do  you  think  we  could  handle  her  yet?"  asked 
Groom. 

"  Of  course  we  can,"  replied  Terrill.  *'  Do  you 
suppose  Mr.  Lowington  would  have  given  Captain 
Kendall  the  charge  of  her  if  he  hadn't  known  he  could 
handle  her?" 

"  I  think  we  need  not  discuss  that  question,"  said 
the  captain.  "  I  am  pretty  sure  we  shall  be  sent  to  sea 
soon." 


34  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I  hope  so,"  added  half  a  dozen  of  them. 

"  Do  you  apprehend  any  more  trouble  with  the 
crew;  Mr.  Terrill?"  asked  Captain  Kendall. 

"  I  do  not,  as  long  as  that  McLeish  is  in  the  strait 
jacket.  I  don't  think  he  has  much  influence  with  the 
crew  ;  but  we  have  some  of  the  hardest  fellows  in  the 
crowd  on  board,  though  I  believe  they  are  all  well  dis 
posed  at  the  present  time.  We  may  have  some  trouble 
with  Rossfeldt,  Lynch,  Sanborn/Grossbeck,  Temple- 
ton,  and  such  fellows  as  they  are,  but  it  will  not  be 
until  after  the  novelty  of  their  situation  has  worn 
away." 

"  Those  you  mention  are  uneasy  fellows,  always 
trying  to  get  into  a  scrape.  Mr.  Lowington  advised 
me  to  keep  an  anchor  watch  while  we  are  in  port. 
Of  course  I  shall  do  that ;  but  I  think  we  will  do  some 
thing  more.  There  is  nothing  like  keeping  our  eyes 
open.  I  intend,  therefore,  to  have  one  officer  on  duty 
all  night,  in  addition  to  the  two  seamen  composing  the 
anchor  watch.  He  must  pass  through  the  steerage 
every  half  hour  during  his  watch.  We  shall  be  pretty- 
sure,  then,  that  there  is  no  mischief  brewing  among 
the  crew." 

The  arrangements  for  this  watch  were  made.  The 
officers,  except  the  captain,  were  to  serve  in  turn,  in 
the  order  of  their  rank,  for  two  hours.  The  first  lieu 
tenant  went  to  the  steerage,  and  detailed  the  seamen 
who  were  to  be  the  anchor  watch.  At  eight  o'clock 
the  first  watch  was  set.  At  ten  all  was  quiet  on  board, 
all  hands  having  turned  in.  Henry  Martyn  was  on 
deck  in  charge  of  the  vessel.  At  five  bells  everybody 
below  appeared  to  be  asleep,  except  McLeish,  who 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        35 

stood  at  the  grated  door  of  his  prison,  looking  out  into 
the  steerage.  The  watch  officer  had  just  been  his 
rounds,  and  all  was  still  again.  He  could  hear  the 
heavy  breathing  of  some  of  the  sleepers. 

If  there  was  a  miserable  and  unhappy  fellow  on 
board,  it  was  McLeish  ;  not  consciously  rendered  so  by 
his  own  misconduct,  but  by  the  insults  heaped  upon  a 
MucGregor.  He  was  not  yet  able  to  see  that  he  had 
done  wrong,  and  he  was  only  thirsting  for  revenge. 
He  had  carefully  examined  every  part  of  the  brig  in 
order  to  find  a  weak  place,  if  there  was  any.  He  had 
shaken  the  door,  and  tried  his  skill  upon  the  lock  with 
his  knife.  His  prison  appeared  to  be  secure  in  every 
part,  and  everything  was  as  hopeless  as  it  could  be. 
The  culprit  expected  to  be  sent  back  to  the  Young 
America  the  next  day. 

He  had  exhausted  his  ingenuity  in  vain  attempts  to 
devise  a  method  of  getting  out  of  his  dungeon.  He 
could  neither  break  down  the  door  nor  pick  the  lock. 
He  needed  assistance  from  outside,  with  which  he  was 
satisfied  that  he  could  make  his  escape.  The  bars  of 
the  door  were  wide  enough  apart  to  permit  him  to 
thrust  his  arm  through,  and  he  had  felt  of  the  lock 
until  he  had  hit  upon  a  plan  for  opening  his  dungeon. 
The  door  swung  out  into  the  steerage,  and  was  secured 
by  a  lock,  screwed  upon  one  of  the  slats.  He '  had 
examined  the  screw  heads  with  his  fingers,  and  at 
tempted  to  operate  upon  them  with  his  knife.  In 
this  he  failed  ;  but  a  friend  on  the  outside  could  let 
him  out  in  five  minutes. 

In  the  middle  berth,  next  to  his  prison,  slept  Lynch, 
whom  the  rebel  knew  to  be  one  of  "  our  fellows." 


36  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Above  him  was  Baxter,  one  of  the  chaplain's  "  lambs," 
who  was  innocent  enough  to  be  a  sound  sleeper. 

"  Lynch  ! "  said  McLeish,  in  a  whisper. 

The  occupant  of  the  middle  berth  appeared  also  to 
be  innocent,  so  far  as  his  slumbers  were  concerned. 

"  I  say,  Lynch  !  "  called  he  again,  in  a  little  louder 
tone  ;  but  it  was  not  loud  enough  to  rouse  the  heavy 
sleeper. 

McLeish  took  from  his  pocket  two  or  three  big 
English  pennies ;  and  judging  from  the  feeling  of 
them  in  his  pocket,  they  were  heavy  enough  to  crush 
the  unconscious  slumberer.  Reaching  through  the 
bars  of  the  door,  he  tossed  one  of  the  coins  into  the 
middle  berth.  It  fell  upon  the  bed-clothes,  and  did 
not  disturb  the  tired  seaman.  He  repeated  the  experi 
ment  ;  and  this  time  the  penny  fell  upon  Lynch's  face. 
It  startled  him,  and  waked  him  up.  Doubtless  he 
thought  a  rat  was  a  fellow-occupant  of  the  bunk  with 
him,  and  he  raised  himself  up  in  his  bed,  to  find  the 
intruder  if  he  could. 
•  "  Lynch,"  whispered  McLeish. 

"Who's  that?"  demanded  he. 

"  Whist !  don't  make  a  noise,"  added  the  prisoner. 

"  What  do  you  want?"  asked  Lynch,  in  a  whisper 
this  time. 

"  Come  to  me  —  will  you?  Don't  let  any  one  hear 
you." 

"  What  for?  "  inquired  the  cautious  seaman. 

"  I  want  to  see  you." 

Lynch  carefully  slipped  out  of  his  berth,  and  went 
to  the  door  of  the  brig.  He  was  hardly  in  the  hu 
mor  for  a  conspiracy  with  such  a  senseless  rebel  as 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       37 

McLeish.  He  had  acted  so  stupidly  in  the  morning, 
that  those  who  did  not  object  to  the  principle  of  re 
bellion  and  insubordination,  condemned  his  folly  in 
making  such  a  needless  row. 

"What  do  you  want  of  me?"  demanded  Lynch, 
rather  sourly,  when  he  reached  the  door. 

"  I  want  to  talk  with  you  a  bit." 

"  I  don't  care  about  talking  with  you  to-night.  I  am 
sleepy,  and  I  have  to  go  on  the  anchor  watch  at  eight 
bells,"  replied  Lynch,  with  a  long  gape. 

"  Eight  bals  —  when  is  that?"  inquired  the  pris 
oner. 

"Twelve  o'clock." 

"  And  who  goes  on  with  you?" 

"  Grossbeck." 

"  Excellent !  "  exclaimed  the  rebel. 

"  It  may  be,  but  I  don't  see  it,"  growled  Lynch. 
"What  do  you  want  of  me?  I'm  not  going  to  stand 
here  all  night,  and  perhaps  get  into  a  scrape  for  you." 

"Just  get  into- your  bed  again,  if  you  hear  that  bal 
up  stairs  ;  for  that's  when  the  officer  comes  round  to 
see  that  all  is  well." 

"  I  shall  not  wait  for  the  bell  before  I  turn  in,  if  you 
don't  speak  quick." 

"  I  want  to  get  out,"  said  McLeish. 

"  I  suppose  you  do  ;  you  were  a  fool  to  get  in  there, 
and  I,  for  one,  dou't  care  how  long  you  have  to  stay 
there,"  replied  Lynch,  in  the  most  forbidding  of  tones. 

"  You  are  a  good  fallow,  Lynch." 

"  I  know  that,  but  I'm  not  going  to  get  into  a  scrape 
for  a  fellow  that  don't  know  enough  to  keep  his  fin 
gers  out  of  the  fire,"  added  the  outsider,  in  an  ener- 
4 


38  RED    CROSS,    OR 

getic  whisper.  "  You  will  be  sent  back  to  the  ship  to 
morrow  ;  then  all  your  fun  will  be  spoiled,  and  I  shall 
be  glad  of  it." 

"  Don't  be  hard  on  me.  I  was  only  taking  the  nobs 
down  a  bit." 

"  I  should  think  you  were ;  but  you  better  believe 
that  nob  of  a  first  lieutenant  took  you  down  a  bit.  If 
you  want  anything  of  me,  speak  quick,  for  I'm  going 
to  turn  in." 

"  I  can  whip  the  lieutenant  any  day  in  a  fair  fight." 

"  Why  didn't  you  do  it,  then?" 

"  He  didn't  fight  fair." 

"  Fight  fair  !  You  are  a  humbug !  All  night  to  you, 
till  your  muscle  grows ; "  and  Lynch  moved  towards 
his  berth. 

"  Whist !     Hold  on  a  minute." 

"  I  won't  hold  on  any  more,  unless  you  tell  me  what 
you  want." 

ul'll  no  tall  ye  what  7  want  first;  I'll  tall  you 
what  you  want." 

"Well,  what  do  I  want?"  demanded  Lynch,  impa 
tiently. 

"  You  want  to  make  a  sovereign  in  about  five 
minutes." 

"  That's  so,"  answered  the  outsider,  with  refreshing 
promptness. 

The  insider  could  not  have  mentioned  anything 
which  Lynch  wanted  more  than  money,  especially  as 
the  students  were  expecting  a  run  on  shore  in  a  few 
days.  Perhaps  there  was  not  a  boy  on  board  of  either 
vessel  who  was  more  sorely  distressed  by  the  want  of 
funds  than  he.  Left  to  his  own  inclinations,  he  was  a 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        39 

reckless,  resolute  fellow,  disposed  to  gamble,  to  drink 
ale,  and  even  liquors.  No  one  needed  the  strict  disci 
pline  and  wholesome  restraint  of  the  ship  more  than 
he.  If  they  did  not  reform,  they  at  least  kept  him  for 
the  time  in  the  path  of  decency.  He  wanted  money 
now,  and  he  always  wanted  it,  for  money  was  the  key 
.to  the  low  pleasures  he  relished. 

"  I  knew  you  wanted  money,"  added  McLeish. 

"  Have  you  any?  " 

"  Sartainly  I  have  —  planty  of  it.  But  you'll  no 
betray  me." 

"  Of  course  I  won't ;  I  wouldn't  blow  on  the  mean 
est  fellow  on  board.  How  much  have  you  ?  " 

"  Never  you  mind  how  much  I  have.  I  haird  the 
lads  say  my  money  would  be  taken  from  me,  and  I 
just  put  it  where  the  nobs  couldn't  find  it.  Whist ! 
there's  the  bal ;  turn  in  you,  and  come  again  when  the 
nob  has  been  through  the  place." 

Lynch  crawled  carefully  into  his  bed,  and  presently 
the  second  lieutenant  went  through  the  steerage.  All 
was  quiet  as  before,  and  he  saw  no  reason  to  suspect 
the  mischief  which  was  brewing.  As  soon  as  he  had 
gone  on  deck,  the  tenant  of  the  middle  berth,  tempted 
by  the  prospect  of  making  a  sovereign,  returned  to 
the  door. 

"  Now,  speak  quick,  and  tell  me  what  you  want," 
said  he. 

"  I'll  do  that,  if  you'll  bargain  to  do  what  I  want  for 
the  sovereign." 

"  I  won't  till  I  know  what  I'm  to  do,  you  had  better 
believe."  « 

"  You  are  to  halp  me  out  without  danger  to  your 
self-" 


40  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I'll  do  it ;  but  not  till  you  pay  me  the  money,  for 
I'm  not  so  sure  you  have  a  sovereign  about  you," 
added  the  prudent  Lynch. 

"  That's  no  fair.  How  do  I  know  you'll  let  me  out 
when  you  get  my  money.  I'll  give  you  ten  shillings 
now,  and  ten  more  after  I'm  free  :  that's  fair." 

"  Well,  I  agree  to  that." 

McLeish  retreated  to  the  farther  part  of  his  cell,  and 
presently  reappeared  with  a  half  sovereign  which  he 
had  taken  from  one  of  his  stockings.  He  handed  it  to 
Lynch,  who  examined  it  very  carefully  to  assure  him 
self  that  it  was  pure  coin.  The  weight  and  color  sat 
isfied  him,  and  he  intimated  to  the  prisoner  that  the 
money  was  all  right. 

"  Do  you  know  where  to  find  a  screw-driver?  "  asked 
McLeish,  nervously,  as  the  prospect  of  carrying  out 
his  scheme  improved. 

"  No,  I  don't ;  how  do  you  "expect  me  to  find  a  screw 
driver  at  this  time  of  night?" 

"  Naver  mind  ;  a  knife  will  just  do  as  well.  Here, 
take  mine,  and  remove  the  four  screws  from  the  lock." 

Lynch  took  the  large  jackknife  handed  to  him,  and 
went  to  work  with  it.  The  joiner's  work  was  new, 
and  the  screws  came  out  pretty  easily.  Within  the 
five  minutes  allotted  for  the  task,  he  had  removed  the 
lock  and  drawn  the  bolt  out  of  the  iron  box  into  which 
it  slid. 

"  My  job  is  done,"  whispered  the  operator,  holding 
the  lock  in  his  hand.  "  Now  give  me  the  other  half 
sovereign,  or  I'll  screw  it  on  again." 

"  Don't  be  in  such  haste,  mon,"  replied  McLeish. 
"  How  am  I  tq  get  away  npw  ?  " 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       4! 

"  I  don't  know  ;  that's  your  lookout,  not  mine.  I 
have  done  all  I  agreed  to  do.  Hand  over  the  stamps, 
or  I'll  put  the  lock  on  again,"  persisted  the  matter-of- 
fact  occupant  of  the  middle  berth,  starboard  side. 

"  You're  a  good  fallow,  Lynch." 

"  So  I  am  ;  pay  up." 

"  I'll  do  it  when  I  come  out." 

"  Come  out  and  do  it  then." 

The  prisoner  retired  to  the  dark  part  of  his  cell 
again  to  obtain  the  other  half  sovereign  from  the 
depths  of  his  stocking.  He  produced  it,  came  out  of 
the  brig,  and  handed  it  over  to  the  outsider. 

"  That's  all  I  want,"  said  Lynch,  as  he  took  the  coin 
and  crawled  back  into  his  berth. 

McLeish,  who  had  taken  the  lock  as  a  receipt  for 
the  last  payment,  inserted  the  bolt  in  the  iron  chamber, 
and  restored  the  screws  to  their  places,  so  that  the  door 
looked  just  as  it  had  before  it  was  tampered  with. 
Hardly  had  he  finished  this  job  before  seven  bells 
struck,  and  the  visit  of  the  officer  of  the  watch  was 
again  to  be  expected.  The  stroke  of  the  bell  almost 
paralyzed  him,  for  he  did  not  know  which  way  to 
turn.  To  be  discovered  would  defeat  his  plans.  He 
heard  the  step  of  Lieutenant  Marty n  on  the  deck  as 
he  approached  the  fore  hatch.  The  situation  was  des 
perate,  and,  without  considering  that  there  were  twelve 
empty  berths  in  the  steerage,  he  sprang  into  Lynch's 
bunk,  and  crawled  over  next  to  the  ceiling  of  the 
vessel. 

"What  are  you  doing?"  growled  his  confederate. 

"  Hush  !    The  officer  is  coming  !  "  replied  McLeish. 

JBoth  of  them  kept  entirely  still,  and  Martyn  went 
4* 


42  RED    CROSS,    OR 

his  rounds.  There  was  not  a  sound  to  be  heard  save 
the  breathing  of  the  sleepers,  and  the  lieutenant  re 
turned  to  the  deck,  assured  that  no  mischief  had  been 
perpetrated  during  his  watch. 

"What  did  you  get  in  here  for,  you  fool?"  snarled 
Lynch,  as  soon  as  the  step  of  the  officer  was  heard  on 
the  deck  above  them. 

"  I  want  to  give  you  another  sovereign  for  more 
halp,"  replied  McLeish. 

"  Say  on  quick,  then,  for  my  watch  on  deck  will  be 
called  in  half  an  hour,"  answered  Lynch. 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN   ENGLAND   AND   WALES.         43 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE    ANCHOR   WATCH. 

YOU  are  a  good  fallow,  Lynch,"  said  McLeish, 
in  the  whisper  to  which  all  the  conversation 
had  necessarily  been  confined. 

"  Don't  waste  your  time  in  telling  me  what  I  know 
as  well  as  you  do,"  protested  Lynch.  "  Show  me 
how  you  intend  to  get  rid  of  the  sovereign  ;  that's  all 
I  want  to  hear."  « 

"  I'll  tall  you  presently.  Who  will  be  the  officer 
next  in  charge  of  the  deck?" 

"  I  don't  know  ;  the  first  and  second  lieutenants 
have  been  on;  I  suppose  the  third  will  come  next  — 
that's  Robinson." 

"  We  must  muzzle  him,  and  then  lower  a  boat," 
continued  the  conspirator,  evidently  getting  ahead  of 
his  story. 

"Muzzle  him?"  added  Lynch,  inquiringly. 

"  Ay,  sairtainly ;  muzzle  him  :  there  will  be  three 
of  us,  and  we  can  do  it  just  as  easy  as  we  can  let  him 
alone." 

"  I  don't  exactly  understand  the  programme."    • 

"  In  half  an  hour  you  and  Grossbeck  will  go  on 
deck  —  do  ye  mind?  I  will  go  with  you.  When  the 
officer  walks  forward  where  we  are,  we'll  just  knock 


44  RED  CROSS,  OR 

him  down,  and  put  a  handkerchief  in  his  mouth. 
Then  we  will  lower  away  one  of  the  boats,  and  pull 
for  the  shore.  That's  all  easy  enough  —  isn't  it?" 

"  I  think  it  is  —  just  as  easy  as  to  put  your  head 
into  a  halter,  or  your  fingers  into  the  fire,"  replied 
Lynch. 

"  But  you  will  go  ashore,  mon,  and  have  a  good 
time.  Liverpool  is  a  big  place,  and  there's  lots  of 
fun  there." 

"  We  should  be  brought  back  in  a  few  days,  as 
Wilton  was." 

"  That  was  because  Wilton  didn't  know  the  country 
as  I  do.  I'll  take  care  of  you." 

"  I  don't  know  that  Grossbeck  will  have  anything  to 
do  with  the  scrape.  The  fellows  are  too  well  suited 
with  their  quarters  here  for  the  present." 

''I  will  just  give  you  and  Grossbeck  a  sovereign 
apiece,"  said  McLeish,  punching  his  berth-mate  in  the 
side,  to  emphasize  the  liberality  of  his  offer. 

"  How  long  would  a  sovereign  apiece  last  us  if  we 
had  to  live  at  the  hotels  on  shore?  If  I  had  twenty 
pounds,  or  so,  as  Wilton  had,  I  would  think  of  it ;  as 
it  is,  I  believe  I  won't  make  another  sovereign  to 
night,"  replied  the  cautious  Lynch. 

The  Josephine  had  too  many  charms,  even  to  a  fel 
low  like  the  occupant  of  the  middle  berth,  to  permit 
him  to  engage  in  such  a  hazardous  enterprise  as  run 
ning  away  with  only  forty  shillings  in  his  pocket ;  for 
a  second-class  fare  to  London  would  use  up  more  than 
half  of  his  funds.  The  experience  of  Wilton  and  Mon 
roe,  as  related  by  the  principal  to  the  students,  was  a 
lesson  by  which  he  was  disposed  to  profit. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.          45 

"  You  won't  halp  me?  "  said  McLeish. 

"  I've  helped  you  enough.     I  can't  do  any  more." 

"  Hoot,  mon  !  What  am  I  to  do?  I  might  as  well 
be  in  the  brig  as  out  of  it,  if  you  won't  halp  me  to  get 
ashore." 

"  I'll  help  you  all  I  can ;  but  I  won't  knock  any 
lieutenants  down,  or  do  anything  of  that  sort.  I'm 
not  going  to  spend  a  month  in  the  brig  for  the  sake  of 
a  day's  fun  on  shore — not  I." 

"  Then  you  desairt  me?"  said  the  culprit,  moodily. 

"  Haven't  I  done  all  I  agreed  to  do?  "  retorted 
Lynch. 

"•  You  have  ;  but  you  knew  very  well  it  was  no  use 
for  me  to  get  out  of  the  brig,  if  I  couldn't  leave  the 
vessel." 

"  That  wasrr't  any  of  my  business." 

"  Well,  mon,  you'll  just  find  it's  your  business.  I'll 
tell  the  officers,  when  they  find  me  in  the  morning, 
who  let  me  out ;  and  I'll  have  your  good  company  in 
the  brig  when  I  go  back,"  added  McLeish,  maliciously. 

"  Humph  !  "  sneered  Lynch  ;  but  after  all,  the  an 
nouncement  was  a  "poser"  to  him. 

The  reprobate  would  get  him  into  a  scrape,  even 
before  he  had  spent  the  money  earned.  He  would 
not  only  be  sent  to  the  brig,  but  the  sovereign  would 
be  taken  from  him.  It  is  dangerous  to  enter  into  the 
counsels  of  rogues  and  villains,  and  Lynch  found  him 
self  in  a  very  unpleasant  box.  He  knew  his  com 
panion  was  mean  enough  to  betray  him,  and  his 
threats  were  not  idle  ones. 

"  I'm  willing  to  do  anything  I  can  for  you,"  said 
Lynch,  uneasily. 


46  RED   CROSS,    OR 

"  Then  why  don't  you  do  it?  If  you  don't  halp  me 
off,  you  shall  spend  to-morrow  in  the  brig  with  me. 
We'll  hang  together,  my  good  friend.  You  have 
taken  my  money,  and  you  must  do  my  work." 

u  Knocking  an  officer  down  is  mutiny,"  said  Lynch. 
"  I  don't  want  to  do  that ;  and  I  don't  think  there  is 
any  need  of  doing  it.  Leave  the  matter  to  me,  and 
I  will  manage  it." 

"  I'll  just  leave  it  to  you,  if  you  like." 

"  Keep  still,  now,"  said  Lynch,  who  had  whispered 
himself  hoarse.  "  I  want  to  think  it  over." 

The  culprit  did  keep  still,  and  Lynch  thought  it 
over ;  but  he  was  considering  how  he  could  untangle 
his  relations  with  the  prisoner,  rather  than  devising  a 
plan  to  get  him  away  from  the  vessel.  Before  he  had 
settled  the  matter  in  his  own  mind,  eight  bells  struck. 

"  Keep  still,  McLeish.  I  shall  be  called  in  a  min 
ute,"  said  he,  in  hurried  tones.  "  When  I  rap  twice 
three  on  the  deck  above  your  head,  come  up." 

"  Twice  three,"  repeated  McLeish. 

"  Yes  ;  now  keep  down  there  out  of  sight." 

Lieutenant  Martyn  came  into  the  steerage,  and  after 
glancing  at  his  watch  list,  under  the  lantern,  he  called 
Grossbeck  and  Lynch,  and  passed  into  the  cabin  to 
awaken  his  successor.  Lynch  and  Grossbeck  went 
on  deck,  and  the  two  seamen  whose  watch  had  ex 
pired  repaired  to  their  berths.  McLeish  kept  perfectly 
still  in  the  bunk,  waiting  for  the  expected  signal, 
though  he  knew  it  could  not  be  given  till  the  two  who 
had  just  turned  in  had  gone  to  sleep,  and  the  circum 
stances  on  deck  favored  his  going  up. 

There  was  a  small  top-gallant  forecastle  at  the  bow 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        47 

of  the  schooner,  on  which  the  anchor  watch  were 
stationed,  so  that  they  could  see  everything  that  ap~ 
proached,  in  any  direction.  The  officer  of  the  watch 
"  planked  "  the  quarter-deck,  or  sat  upon  the  seats  on 
each  side  of  the  after  skylight.  The  head  steward  had 
put  a  lunch  on  the  cabin  table,  for  something  to  eat 
was  a  great  help  in  keeping  awake.  There  was  noth 
ing  for  him  to  do  except  to  make  the  round  below, 
and  to  see  that  the  watch  forward  were  awake  ;  and 
he  amused  himself  in  any  manner  that  suited  his 
fancy. 

Lynch  and  Grossbeck  seated  themselves  on  the  jib, 
stowed  on  the  bowsprit,  and  made  themselves  as  com 
fortable  as  possible.  In  a  low  tone  Lynch  told  his 
watch-mate  what  had  happened  below,  and  that 
McLeish  was  in  his  berth,  waiting  for  the  signal  to 
come  on  deck. 

"  In  a  word,  Grossbeck,  I'm  in  a  bad  fix,"  said 
Lynch,  as  he  wound  up  his  narrative.  "  The  sneak 
will  blow  on  me  just  as  sure  as  he  is  discovered.  He 
gave  me  these  two  half  sovereigns ;  you  take  one  of 
them,  and  we  will  call  it  square." 

Grossbeck  did  not  object  to  this  arrangement ;  and 
without  any  compunction  of  conscience,  he  put  the 
ten-shilling  piece  in  his  pocket,  thinking  of  what 
it  would  purchase  when  the  crew  had  liberty  on 
shore. 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  him  ? "  asked  Lynch, 
anxiously. 

"  That's  the  question,"  replied  Grossbeck.  "  What 
shall  we  do  with  him  ?  " 

"  Of  course  we  can't  lower  one  of  the  boats  and 


48  RED    CROSS,    OR 

turn  him  adrift  without  the  officer's  seeing  us,"  added 
Lynch.  "  I  don't  mean  to  get  into  any  scrape." 

"  Nor  I :  this  vessel  suits  me  too  well  just  now,  and 
I  don't  want  to  leave  her.  I  have  it ! "  exclaimed 
Grossbeck,  suddenly,  as  he  glanced  over  the  port 
bow  of  the  schooner.  "  There  is  a  plank  stage  hang 
ing  below  the  hawse-hole,  where  the  carpenter  was 
calking  a  seam.  He  has  to  paint  it  again  in  the  morn 
ing,  and  he  left  his  stage.  We  can  turn  him  adrift  on 
that.  We  can  lower  it  into  the  water  the  next  time 
the  officer  goes  below." 

"  Do  you  think  McLeish  will  go  off  with  nothing 
but  a  plank  under  him?  "  asked  Lynch. 

"  If  he  wants  to  go  very  bad,  he  will." 

"  The  tide  is  going  out,  and  it  runs  like  sixty  here. 
It  would  carry  him  out  to  sea." 

"  That's  his  business." 

"  I  don't  believe  hell  do  it.     I  wouldn't." 

"  Nor  I  either,"  added  Grossbeck,  candidly.  u  But 
if  we  give  him  the  chance,  it  will  show  that  we  are 
ready  to  help  him." 

"  That's  so  ;  but  he  would  certainly  be  drowned  if 
he  went  oft*  on  the  plank." 

"  Never  fear  ;  he  won't  go." 

"  Well ;  what  then?  "  asked  Lynch.  "  What  shall 
we  do  with  him  ?  " 

"  We  must  get  him  back  into  the  brig,  and  lock  him 
up  again,"  laughed  Grossbeck.  "  We  must  shake  the 
dust  off  our  feet,  any  how." 

4i  There  goes  the  lieutenant  down  into  the  cabin. 
We'll  get  McLeish  on  deck,"  added  Lynch,  jumping 
down  from  the  top-gallant  forecastle,  and  giving  the 
signal  with  the  heel  of  his  shoe  on  the  deck. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        49 

The  prisoner  lost  no  time  in  obeying  the  summons. 
He  was  directed  to  mount  the  forecastle,  and  was 
then  assisted  over  the  rail  into  the  head,  on  the  port 
side,  where  he  could  not  be  seen  by  the  officer. 

"  We  have  arranged  it  all,"  said  Grossbeck,  "  and 
you  may  go  ashore  as  soon  as  you  please." 

"  1  knew  you  would  be  my  friend,"  replied  McLeish, 
gratefully. 

"  We  have  made  it  all  right  for  you,"  added  Gross- 
beck,  in  lively  tones,  as  though  he  had  no  idea  that 
his  proposition  would  be  declined. 

"  Well,  where  is  the  boat?  "  demanded  McLeish. 

"  Boat !  My  dear  fellow,  we  can't  get  a  boat.  The 
oars  are  all  locked  up  in  the  captain's  state-room  ;  be 
sides,  the  plugs  are  all  pulled  out  of  the  bottoms,  and 
the  first  lieutenant  has  them  in  his  trowsers  pocket. 
They  wouldn't  float  a  minute  with  a  fellow  in  them." 

Lynch  thought  his  companion's  statements  were 
rather  "  steep ; "  but  as  the  culprit  did  not  question 
them,  he  did  not  feel  obliged  to  contradict  them. 

"  We  would  tip  the  officer  over  and  gag  him,  as  you 
suggested,  and  go  ashore  with  you,  if  the  boats  were 
only  in  condition  to  carry  us,"  continued  Grossbeck. 
"  You  are  a  good  fellow,  McLeish,  and  we  want  to 
help  you  off." 

"But  how  am  I  to  go  ashore  without  a  boat?" 
asked  McLeish. 

"  That's  easy  enough.    You  can  swim  —  can't  you  ?  " 

"  Sairtainly  I  can  ;  but  you  don't  expect  me  to  swim 
ashore — do  you?" 

"  It's  not  more  than  half  a  mile,"  suggested  Gross- 
beck. 

5 


5O  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  But  I'll  no  do.  that." 

"I  didn't  know  but  you  would  prefer  to  swim 
ashore." 

"  Sairtainly  not." 

"  Then  we  can  do  something  better  for  you  !  Hush  ! 
there  comes  the  officer." 

"One  bell,"  said  Mr.  Robinson,  coming  as  far  as 
the  foremast. 

Lynch  struck  the  bell,  and  the  lieutenant  went  aft 
again,  after  he  had  visited  the  steerage. 

"  All  right  again,"  said  Grossbeck. 

"You  were  going  to  tall  me  how  I  was  to  get 
ashore,"  added  McLeish. 

"  I  was ;  and  we  have  fixed  that  matter  so  that  you 
can  go  ashore  as  nicely  as  you  could  in  a  boat.  Do 
you  see  that  plank  stage  under  the  hawse-hole?" 

"  I  don't  see  it,"  replied  the  culprit,  looking  down 
into  the  darkness  in  the  direction  indicated. 

"  There's  a  plank  there  ;  get  down  on  the  bobstay, 
and  you  can  see  it." 

McLeish  changed  his  position  so  that  he  could  dis 
cern  the  outline  of  the  plank,  which  was  about  eight 
feet  long  and  a  foot  wide. 

"  Surely  you  don't  expact  me  to  go  to  the  shore  on 
a  bit  of  a  plank  like  that !  "  exclaimed  McLeish. 

"Why  not?  My  grandfather  crossed  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  on  a  plank  no  bigger  than  that." 

"  Hoot,  mon  !    You  are  funning  with  me." 

"  No,  I'm  not.  It's  easy  enough  to  go  half  a  mile 
on  a  plank  like  that." 

"  Is  there  no  danger?" 

"  Of  course  there  is  danger.    There's  always  danger 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.        51 

when  you  are  on  the  water.  You  don't  expect  to  run 
away  from  your  ship  without  getting  into  some  danger 
—  do  you  ?  " 

"  I'll  no  trust  my  life  on  a  bit  of  a  plank  like  that," 
said  McLeish,  decidedly. 

"What  can  we  do  then?"  asked  Grossbeck,  with 
apparent  perplexity. 

"  You  must  get  me  a  boat." 

"  Shall  I  go  down  into  the  cabin  and  ask  the 
captain  for  the  oars,  and  the  first  lieutenant  for  the 
plugs?" 

"  Surely  not." 

"  We  are  i-eady  to  do  all  we  can  to  help  you,  if  you 
will  only  tell  us  what,"  pleaded  Grossbeck.  "  If  you 
will  go  on  the  plank,  we  will  lower  you  down  into  the 
water  the  next  time  the  officer  goe»,  below,  which  will 
be  at  two  bells,  if  not  before." 

"  I  should  sairtainly  be  drowned." 

"  Perhaps  you  would,  but  you  must  take  that  risk  in 
running  away." 

"  I'll  no  do  it ;  I'm  not  ready  to  be  drowned  yet." 

"  See  here,"  interposed  Lynch  ;  "  this  thing  can  be 
managed 'first  rate  by  to-morrow  or  next  day.  We 
can  get  a  shore  boat  to  come  alongside,  when  Gross- 
beck  and  I  have  our  next  watch.  Leave  the  whole 
matter  to  us,  McLeish,  and  we  will  fix  it." 

"  That's  the  better  way.  When  our  next  watch 
comes,  we  can  have  everything  ready,"  added  Gross- 
beck. 

"  But  what  am  I  to  do  ?  "  inquired  McLeish. 

"  You  must  go  back  to  the  brig,  and  stay  there  till 
there  is  a  chance  for  us  to  put  you  ashore." 


52  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I  don't  like  that,"  growled  the  culprit. 

"  Well,  if  you  will  tell  us  what  to  do,  we'll  do  it," 
said  Lynch. 

McLeish  could  not  tell  them  what  to  do ;  and  he 
finally  consented  to  be  locked  up  in  his  dungeon  again, 
to  await  a  more  favorable  opportunity  to  escape.  It 
was  a  bitter  necessity  to  him  ;  and  as  his  plan  had 
failed,  he  insisted  that  Lynch  should  return  the  sover 
eign  he  had  paid.* 

"  Let's  give  it  back  to  him,"  suggested  Grossbeck, 
who  was  willing  to  shake  off  all  connection  with  the 
transaction. 

"  I  will,  if  he  desires  it,"  replied  Lynch. 

"  Two  bells,"  called  the  officer  of  the  watch,  as  he 
came  forward,  and  then  descended  to  the  steerage. 

Robinson  returned  to  the  deck,  and  after  a  little 
while  went  down  into  the  cabin.  As  soon  as  he 
disappeared,  McLeish  was  sent  below,  when  he  re 
moved  the  lock  from  the  door,  and  went  into  the  brig 
again.  When  the  watch  was  relieved,  an  hour  later. 
Lynch,  who  had  procured  a  screw-driver  from  the  car 
penter's  box,  screwed  it  on  again,  and  the  culprit  was 
once  more  a  prisoner. 

"  You  did  not  give  me  back  my  money,"  whispered 
the  insider. 

"  No,  but  I  will,  if  you  say  so,"  replied  the  other. 
u  I  did  all  I  agreed  to  do  for  it,  and  if  you  made  any 
blunder,  it  was  not  my  fault." 

"  But  here  I  am,  and  it's  no  right  for  me  to  pay 
twenty  shillings  for  nothing,"  snaiied  McLeish. 

"i'ou  bothered  me  and  kept  me  awake  half  the 
night.  I  will  give  the  money  back  to  you,  and  you 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AN.D    WALES.        53 

may  stay  in  the  brig  till  somebody  besides  me  lets  you 
out,"  answered  Lynch.  "  I  gave  half  a  sovereign  to 
Grossbeck  ;  I  will  get  that." 

"  Don't  do  it ;  keep  the  money,  and  halp  me  as  you 
agreed  to  do,"  replied  McLeish,  alarmed  at  the  terms 
on  which  the  gold  was  to  be  returned.  "Just  keep  it, 
and  say  no  more  about  it." 

Lynch  was  quite  willing  to  do  this ;  and  leaving  the 
prisoner  to  himself,  he  quietly  turned  in,  to  sleep  as 
soundly  as  though  he  had  been  engaged  in  no  plot. 
The  night  wore  away  without  any  further  incident, 
and  as  no  one  except  the  conspirators  had  lost  more 
than  two  hours'  sleep,  they  were  fresh  and  bright  when 
all  hands  were  called  in  the  morning.  The  decks  were 
washed  down,  and  the  usual  ship's  duty  performed. 

"  Signal  on  board  the  ship,  sir,"  said  a  quarter 
master,  reporting  to  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Pass  the  word  for  the  signal  officer,"  replied  Ter* 
rill. 

Mr.  Lockwood,  the  fourth  master,  was  the  signal 
officer,  and  he  immediately  appeared  on  the  quarter 
deck  with  the  signal-book  in  his  hand.  Both  the  ship 
and  her  consort  were  provided  with  the  numbers,  a 
series  of  flags,  each  representing,  by  its  combination 
and  arrangement  of  colors,  one  of  the  Arabic  figures 
or  the  zero.  With  these  flags  any  number  can  be  ex 
pressed.  Vessels  carry  a  printed  signal-book,  in  which 
various  nautical  questions  and  answers  are  placed 
against  the  numbers.  Other  numbers  are  set  against 
the  names  of  ships,  so  that  a  vessel  hoisting  her  num 
ber  may  thus  communicate  it  to  another  vessel  several 
miles  distant. 

5* 


54  RED    CROSS,    OR 

On  the  evening  before  the  officers  of  the  Josephine 
left  the  ship,  a  private  signal-book  had  been  made, 
with  questions,  answers,  and  orders  relating  to  the  cir 
cumstances  of  the  two  vessels.  The  numbers  com 
menced  with  one  hundred,  but  the  book  had  not  been 
completed,  only  about  twenty  different  messages  being 
recorded.  A  copy  of  the  code  was  written  out  for 
each  vessel.  Of  course  they  could  communicate  on 
ordinary  matters  by  means  of  the  general  signal-book. 

"What's  the  number?"  asked  the  signal  officer. 

"  One  hundred  and  five,"  replied  the  quarter-master. 

Lockwood  opened  his  book,  and  found  this  number. 

"  All  hands  attend  lecture  on  board  the  ship,"  he 
read  from  the  book,  against  the  number. 

The  signal  was  hoisted  on  the  Josephine  to  indicate 
that  the  message  was  seen  and  understood. 

"  We  are  to  have  Mr.  Mapps's  lecture  on  England, 
I  suppose,"  said  Captain  Kendall. 

"Does  all  hands  include  McLeish?"  asked  the  first 
lieutenant. 

"  Certainly  not ;  Wilton  and  Monroe  will  not  leave 
the  brig  to  attend,  I  presume." 

At  quarter  before  eight  the  boats'  crews  were  called, 
and  all  hands  embarked.  The  first  lieutenant  directed 
Cleats,  the  boatswain,  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  brig,  and 
see  that  the  prisoner  did  not  escape.  In  a  few  mo 
ments  the  ship's  company  were  on  the  deck  of  the 
Young  America.  Their  arrival  created  quite  a  sensa 
tion.  Paul  and  his  officers  were  warmly  greeted  by 
their  late  associates,  and  all  the  questions  which  the 
time  would  permit  were  asked  and  answered. 

"  How  do  you  get  along,  Captain  Kendall?  "  asked 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       55 

the  principal,  with  a  kindly  smile,  as  he  took  the  hand 
of  the  young  commander. 

"  Very  well,  I  think,  sir,"  replied  Paul. 

"  I  looked  for  McLeish,  as  your  crew  came  over  the 
side,  but  I  did  not  see  him,"  added  Mr.  Lowington. 

"  He  did  not  come  with  us,  sir ;  he  is  in  the  brig," 
answered  Paul,  doubtfully. 

"  In  the  brig  !  "  exclaimed  the  fountain  of  authority. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  he  was  committed  by  my  order  before 
he  had  been  on  board  an  hour." 

"  I  did  not  expect  he  would  give  you  any  trouble  so 
soon.  What  was  the  matter." 

The  first  lieutenant  was  called  to  tell  his  story,  and 
he  gave  all  the  particulars. 

"  I  am  sorry  this  has  happened ;  but  you  have 
done  well,  all  of  you.  You  have  kept  up  the  disci 
pline  of  your  vessel,  and  I  not  only  approve  your 
action,  but  I  thank  you  for  it.  Why  didn't  you  send 
for  trie?" 

"  We  needed  no  help,  sir,  and  I  had  no  orders  to 
send  for  you,"  replied  Paul. 

"  Very  true  ;  but  didn't  you  want  me?"  added  Mr. 
Lowington,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  should  have  been  very  glad  to  see  you,  as  I 
always  am,  but  I  didn't  like  to  acknowledge  that  we 
couldn't  discipline  our  crew." 

"  You  are  aware  that  one  of  the  numbers  in  your 
signal-book  is, '  Trouble  on  board.'  If  you  had  hoisted 
this  signal  I  should  have  visited  you  at  once." 

"  There  was  trouble  on  board,  but  we  did  not  need 
any  assistance.  If  I  had  understood  that  you  wished 
me  to  inform  you  immediately  when  any  difficulty 


56  RED    CROSS,    OR 

occurred,  I  should  have  sent  for  you,  or  hoisted  the 
signal." 

"  The  matter  was  left  entirely  to  your  own  discre 
tion.  I  do  not  purpose  to  interfere  with  the  discipline; 
of  the  Josephine,  unless  her  captain  requests  me  to  do 
so,  or  unless  I  find,  upon  examination,  that  it  is  below 
our  standard.  I  am  entirely  satisfied  with  what  you 
have  done.  When  you  desire  it,  I  will  transfer  any 
officer  or  seaman  from  the  schooner  to  the  ship,  though 
not  without  a  fair  hearing,  if  the  party  complained  of 
demands  it." 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Lowington,  for  the  confidence 
you  repose  in  me,  and  I  will  endeavor  to  merit  it 
by  being  faithful  to  my  duty,"  added  Paul,  blushing 
deeply. 

"  I  suppose  you  wish  to  get  rid  of  McLeish  now  — 
don't  you?"  said  the  principal,  with  a  smile. 

"  No,  sir ;  the  first  lieutenant  does  not  ask  for  his 
removal,  and  I  shall  not,  as  long  as  he  does  not  com 
plain.  I  think  we  can  manage  him." 

"  Your  experience  with  McLeish  is  just  what  every 
ship-master  is  occasionally  obliged  to  pass  through. 
The  lowest  and  vilest  men  often  get  into  the  forecastle 
of  a  ship,  and  make  trouble  by  their  turbulence  and 
disobedience.  The  lesson  is  one  which  every  sea  cap 
tain  has  to  learn.  He  must  be  firm  and  decided,  but 
at  the  same  time  he  should  treat  his  crew  well.  He 
should  win  their  respect  and  confidence  by  kindness 
and  consideration,  as  well  as  by  prompt  and  energetic 
action  in  the  time  of  trouble.  You  are  learning  this 
lesson  now ;  and  you  will  find  that  your  cabin  is  not  a 
bed  of  roses  for  you  and  your  officers." 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.       5^ 

Mr.  Lowington  directed  the  captain  of  the  ship  to 
pipe  the  students  to  the  steerage  for  the  lecture. 

"  Captain  Kendall,  I  have  much  to  say  to  you,  and 
I  think  you  can  afford  to  lose  a  portion  of  the  profess 
or's  lecture,"  added  the  principal,  as  he  led  the  way  to 
a  couple  of  seats  near  the  wheel. 

"  I  am  tolerably  well  posted  in  the  geography  and 
history  of  England,  though  I  suppose  I  should  profit 
by  Mr.  Mapps's  lecture,"  replied  Paul,  as  he  sat  down 
at  Mr.  Lowington's  side. 

"  I  will  not  detain  you  long.  We  shall  go  on  shore 
this  afternoon  ;  but  I  am  tired  of  marshalling  the  whole 
ship's  company  in  one  body.  We  have  sixty-nine  sea 
men  entitled  to  liberty.  We  have,  including  the  chap 
lain,  the  surgeon,  and  myself,  nine  men  to  take  charge 
of  them,  which  will  make  seven  or  eight  students  to 
each.  I  purpose  to  let  them  visit  the  docks  and  other 
places  of  interest  in  small  parties.  Two  or  three 
would  be  better  than  seven  or  eight.  I  shall  presume 
that  the  officers  can  take  care  of  themselves ;  so  can 
a  portion  of  the  seamen  in  the  Josephine.  How  many 
of  your  crew  can  you  trust'  without  some  one  to  watch 
them." 

"  Half  of  them,  I  think,"  replied  Paul. 

"  Dr.  Winstock  and  Mr.  Mapps  will  take  charge  of 
such  of  your  crew  as  need  their  supervision.  You  will 
arrange  that." 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  better  to  trust  them  all,  sir?  "  asked 
Paul. 

"  Such  students  as  Lynch  and  Sanborn?" 

u  If  we  put  them  on  their  good  behavior,  I  think 
they  will  do  well.  I  don't  like  to  make  any  distinc 
tion  among  them." 


58  RED    CROSS,    OR 

The  principal  acknowledged  that  Paul  was  right, 
and  he  was  permitted  to  use  his  own  judgment  in 
regard  to  liberty. 

"  One  thing  more,  Captain  Kendall,"  added  Mr. 
Lowington.  "  I  suppose  you  desire  to  try  the  sailing 
qualities  of  your  vessel." 

"  Very  much  indeed,  sir,"  replied  Paul,  with  enthu 
siasm. 

"  You  shall  have  the  opportunity  soon.  To-morrow 
w*ill  be  Sunday.  Monday  will  be  a  holiday,  when  we 
shall  celebrate  the  Fourth  of  July.  On  Tuesday  you 
may  start  on  your  trial  trip." 

"Where  shall  we  go?"  asked  Paul,  delighted  with 
the  permission. 

"  Anywhere  you  please.  I  will  give  you  three  days 
for  the  trip.  I  have  full  confidence  in  you,  Captain 
Kendall  but  you  must  be  very  discreet  and  very  care 
ful.  Now  we  will  go  to  the  steerage,  and  hear  what 
Mr.  Mapps  has  to  say." 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        59 


CHAPTER  IV. 

"  ALL   HANDS,    ATTEND   LECTURE,    AHOY  !  " 

PAUL  KENDALL  was  amazed  at  the  confidence 
reposed  in  him  by  the  principal.  On  Tuesday 
he  was  to  go  to  sea  in  the  Josephine,  without  any 
superior  officer  to  control  his  movements.  He  had 
the  privilege  of  going  where  he  pleased,  and  was 
limited  only  as  to  time.  But  he  was  perfectly  sure 
that  he  could,  take  the  schooner  across  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  or  even  around  the  world.  He  went  down 
into  the  steerage  of  the  ship  to  hear  the  lecture  with 
a  feeling  of  elation  he  had  not  before  experienced, 
and  it  was  some  time  before  he  could  get  hold  of  the 
thread  of  the  professor's  discourse. 

When  the  boatswain's  call,  "  All  hands,  attend  lec 
ture,  ahoy  !  "  had  sounded  through  the  ship,  the  crews 
of  the  Young  America  and  Josephine  had  mingled 
together,  and  taken  their  places  as  usual.  A  large 
outline  map  of  Great  Britain  hung  on  the  foremast, 
and  the  professor  stood  with  the  pointer  in  his  hand 
ready  to  proceed.  Most  of  the  students  were  tolera 
bly  familiar  with  the  geography  and  history  of  Eng 
land,,  and  it  was  not  supposed  that  the  instructor 
would  tell  them  much  that  was  new.  The  lecture 
was  a  kind  of  review,  intended  to  refresh  the  memory 


60  RED    CROSS,    OR 

of  the  students,  and  create  or  renew  an  interest  in  the 
country  they  were  now  visiting. 

"  Young  gentlemen,  what  is  the  official  designation 
of  England,  Scotland,  Ireland  and  Wales?"  the  pro 
fessor  inquired. 

"  The  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ire 
land,"  .replied  the  boys  in  concert. 

"  Now,  what  is  meant  by  Great  Britain?" 

"  The  island  which  includes  England,  Wales,  and 
Scotland." 

"  Very  well ;  we  will  now  confine  our  attention  to 
England,  reserving  the  distinctive  features  of  Wales 
for  a  future  lesson.  What  names  have  you  ever  heard 
applied  to  England?  " 

"  Britannia." 

"  A  Roman  name,"  added  Mr.  Mapps.  "  What 
other?" 

"  Albion." 

"  Also  a  Roman  name,  and  it  doubtless  came  from 
the  Latin  word  albus,  meaning  white,  derived  proba 
bly  from  the  white,  chalky  cliffs  of  the  county  of 
Kent,  whose  shores  are  the  portion  of  England  lying 
nearest  to  France." 

"John  Bull,"  added  a  student. 

"  That  is  a  name  applied  to  the  people  of  England, 
first  used  by  Dean  Swift.  A  satirical  novel,  called 
'  The  History  of  John  Bull,'  by  Arbuthnot,  perpetuated 
the  appellation.  I  think  the  popular  idea  of  the  Eng 
lish,  as  a  people  who  believe  in  roast  beef,  is  the  most 
significant  explanation  of  the  term. 

"  From  north  to  south,  England  has  an  extent  of 
four  hundred  miles,  and  from  east  to  west  of  two  htm- 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        6 1 

dred  and  eighty  miles.  The  perimeter  is  ten  hundred 
and  eighty-seven,  but  following  all  the  indentations  of 
the  sea,  the  coast  line  would  be  about  two  thousand 
miles.  The  area  of  England  is  nearly  fifty-one  thou 
sand  square  miles,  or  about  the  size  of  the  States  of 
Iowa  or  Alabama.  Wales  has  about  seven  thousand 
four  hundred  square  miles,  which  does  not  vary  much 
from  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  while  England  and 
Wales  unitedly  are  about  the  size  of  the  State  of 
Geoi'giu. 

"  The  surface  of  the  country  is  moderately  uneven, 
nearly  all  of  it  being  beautifully  diversified  by  gentle 
elevations  and  by  broad  valleys  and  plains.  The  land 
is  remarkably  productive  and  fertile^  and  the  system 
of  agriculture  is  the  best  in  the  world.  Of  more  'than 
four  and  a  half  million  acres  in  England,  only  six  or 
seven  thousand  are  unfit  for  cultivation,  which  could 
not  be  the  case  if  the  country  were  as  rugged  and  un 
even  as  Scotland,  or  portions  of  Ireland. 

"  Nearly  all  the  mountainous  region  lies  in  the  west 
ern  part  of  the  island.  The  Cheviot  Hills,  in  part, 
divide  England  and  Scotland,"  said  Mr.  Mapps,  point 
ing  them  out  on  the  map.  "  A  continuation  of  them, 
running  nearly  south,  is  called  the  Pennine  chain." 

"  Our  maps  don't  say  so,"  interposed  Terrill,  who 
always  had  an  opinion  of  his  own,  and  was  always 
ready  to  back  it  up. 

"  What  do  your  maps  say  ?  "  asked  the  professor. 

"  The  range  you  mention  is  called  the  Cumbrian 
Mountains." 

"  You  are  quite  correct,  Mr.  Terrill,"  added  Mr. 
Mapps.  "  Many  of  the  school  atlases  have  but  one 
6 


62  RED   CROSS,    OR 

range,  which  is  designated  as  the  Cumbrian  Moun 
tains.  This  is  not  according  to  the  best  authorities. 
The  continuation  of  the  Cheviot  Hills  is  now  called 
the  Pennine  chain.  They  extend  into  Derbyshire, 
which  is  one  of  the  middle  counties  of  England, 
lying  nearly  due  east  of  us.  West  of  the  Pennine 
chain,  in  Cumberland,  Westmoreland,  and  Lancaster 
counties,  is  another  range.  These  are  the  Cambrian 
Mountains.  Among  them,  and  in  these  three  coun 
ties,  are  all  the  lakes  of  any  note  in  England.  Ulls- 
water,  nine  miles  long,  and  Windermere  (the  largest 
lake  in  England),  ten  and  a  half  miles  long,  are  noted 
for  the  beauty  of  the  surrounding  scenery.  These 
sheets  of  water  are  about  the  size  of  Otsego  and  Sara- 
nac  Lakes  in  New  York.  If  you  visit  them,  I  dare  say 
you  will  think  they  are  very  fine,  but  not  at  all  equal 
to  the  recommendation  of  the  English  people. 

"  In  Wales  are  the  Cambrian  Mountains.  The 
Devonian  range  is  in  Devon  and  Cornwall,  extend 
ing  to  Land's  End,  the  south-western  point  of  Eng 
land.  I  have  mentioned  the  principal  mountains, 
though  there  are  others  which  have  attained  the  dig 
nity  of  being  named.  There  are  no  high  mountains 
in  Great  Britain.  Ben  Nevis,  in  Scotland,  is  the 
highest,  and  Snowden,  in  Wales,  three  thousand  five 
hundred  and  seventy-one  feet  high,  is  the  loftiest  peak 
south  of  the  Cheviot  Hills.  Scawfell,  Helvellyn,  and 
Skiddaw,  each  about  three  thousand  feet  high,  are  in 
the  Cumbrian  range. 

"  As  I  have  before  stated,  there  are  no  large  rivers 
in  the  United  Kingdom,  judged  by  the  American 
standard.  The  Thames  is  the  longest,  and,  as  regards 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       63 

its  navigation,  the  most  important  even  in  the  world. 
The  Severn  is  but  five  miles  less  in  length  than  the 
Thames,  having  a  course  of  two  hundred  and  ten  miles. 
The  Trent  comes  next  —  one  hundred  and  forty  miles 
long.  The  Hurnber  is  the  estuary  of  the  Great  Ouse 
and  the  Trent.  The  Mersey,  in  which  our  ship  floats, 
is  only  sixty  miles  in  length.  Many  of  these  rivers 
have  broad  mouths,  which  afford  excellent  harbors. 
We  must  not  measure  the  importance  of  these  rivers 
by  their  lengths,  for  on  them  are  some  of  the  greatest 
commercial  cities  in  the  world,  which  owe  their  pros 
perity  to  their  navigable  waters. 

"  If  any  other  country  in  the  world  is  richer  in 
mineral  products  than  England,  none  has  more  effec 
tively  and  advantageously  worked  its  mines,  and  prof 
ited  by  their  wealth.  Lead,  coal,  copper,  zinc,  tin, 
and  iron  are  obtained  in  great  quantities.  England, 
to  a  greater  extent  than  any  other  nation,  is  a  manu 
facturing  country.  Its  mines  of  iron  have  supplied 
the  raw  material  for  its  artisans,  and  great  cities,  like 
Birmingham  and  Sheffield,  have  been  built  up  by  the 
manufacture  of  this  metal  alone. 

"  As  a  maritime  and  commercial  power,  England 
has  been  rivalled  only  by  the  United  States.*  To  use 
the  stale  figure,  the  sails  of  its  commerce  whiten  every 
sea.  It  long  ranked  as  the  greatest  nation  of  the 
world,  and  its  commerce  has  been  the  essential  ele 
ment  of  its  greatness. 

"  The  climate  of  England  is  moist  and  humid,  but 

*  The  tonnage  of  the  United  Kingdom,  in  1862.  was 
4.,394,40O;  of  the  United  States,  5.112,165. 


64  RED    CROSS,    OR 

less  rain  falls  in  a  year  than  in  the  United  States. 
In  one  year  thirty-two  inches  of  rain  fell  in  England ; 
in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  the  rain-gauge  indicated 
thirty-eight  inches  the  same  year.  There  is  more 
cloudy,  muggy  weather  here  than  in  our  country.  In 
my  last  visit  to  Europe,  1  was  in  England  sixteen  days, 
on  every  one  of  which  there  was  a  fall  of  rain ;  but 
there  was  much  pleasant  weather,  and  some  of  the 
showers  lasted  but  a  few  moments.  In  London,  dur 
ing  some  portions  of  the  year,  you  may  not  see  the 
sun  for  a  week. 

"  I  do  not  think  it  necessary,  young  gentlemen,  to 
follow  out  in  detail  the  history  of  England.  It  has 
been  a  progressive  nation,  and  the  story  of  freedom  in 
our  own  land  is  but  a  continuation  of  the  history  of 
the  struggle  for  liberty  in  this  older  country.  Her 
people  have  often  and  stubbornly  fought  the  battle 
against  tyranny  and  oppression.  They  have  done 
more  than  any  other  people  to  establish  the  right  of 
the  subject  to  himself  and  his  earnings. 

"  Britain  was  invaded  and  conquered  by  the  Ro 
mans.  They  held  the  country  for  about  five  centuries. 
It  was  afterwards  invaded  and  ravaged  by  the  savage 
Scots  and  Picts,  against  whom  the  Britons  could  not 
sustain  themselves.  In  danger  of  being  overwhelmed, 
they  begged  the  Saxons,  a  warlike  tribe  in  northern 
Germany,  to  help  them.  The  Saxons  did  all  they 
were  asked  to  do,  and  more.  They  drove  the  north 
ern  barbarians  back  to  their  hills,  and  then,  find 
ing  the  country  much  superior  to  their  own,  they 
subdued  and  drove  the  Britons  to  the  mountains  and 
other  retreats,  and  took  possession  of  their  lands.  In 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.       65 

this  work  the  Saxons  were  leagued  with  the  Jutes  and 
the  Angles,  from  the  latter  of  whom  England  derived 
its  name. 

"  A  long  and  severe  struggle  followed  between  the 
Britons  and  the  invaders,  in  which  King  Arthur  is 
said  to  have  defeated  them  in  many  engagements ; 
but  the  Saxons  finally  prevailed.  Seven  kingdoms, 
called  the  Heptarchy,  were  established  ;  but  they  were 
united  into  one  monarchy  by  Egbert,  under  the  name 
of  England.  The  country  was  frequently  invaded  by 
the  Danes  and  Northmen,  and  the  kings  for  the  next 
two  hundred  years  had  their  hands  full  in  repelling 
the  incursions  of  their  savage  neighbors  on  the  other 
side  of  the  North  Sea. 

"  Edward  the  Confessor,  who  died  in  1065,  be 
queathed  his  crown  to  William  Duke  of  Normandy, 
in  France,  which,  according  to  monarchical  rule,  he 
had  no  right  to  do.  Edgar  Atheling  was  the  true 
heir ;  but  Harold,  a  descendant  of  King  Sweyn,  a 
Dane,  who  was  also  a  descendant  of  Edward  the 
Elder,  was  proclaimed  King  of  England  by  the  clergy 
and  the  nobility.  William  of  Normandy,  determined 
to  establish  his  claim  to  the  crown,  invaded  England 
with  an  immense  army.  Harold  met  him  with  his 
forces  at  Hastings,  but  was  defeated  and  slain.  The 
nation  submitted,  and  the  duke  became  king,  under 
the  title  of  William  the  Conqueror. 

"  The  Saxon  and  the  Norman  families  were  united 
by  the  marriage  of  Henry  I.  to  a  descendant  of  one 
of  the  earlier  kings.  When  he  died,  the  crown  be 
longed  to  his  daughter  Matilda,  who  had  first  married 
the  Emperor  of  Germany,  and  then  Geoffrey  Planta- 


66  RED    CROSS,    OR 

genet.  Her  son  by  her  second  husband  became  King 
Henry  II.,  the  first  of  the  Plantagenet  family,  from 
which  Queen  Victoria  is  directly  descended.  The 
houses  of  Lancaster  and  York  were  branches  of  the 
Plantagenet  family.  Henry  IV.,  the  Duke  of  Lan 
caster,  obtained  the  throne  by  displacing  Richard  II. 

"The  wars  of  the  Roses  broke  out  in  1455,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  VI.,  grandson  of  the  first  Lancaster. 
The  symbol  of  the  house  of  York  was  a  white  rose, 
of  Lancaster,  a  red  one.  The  former  was  descended 
from  the  third,  and  the  latter  from  the  fourth  son  of 
Edward  III.  The  York  branch  had  the  right,  and 
established  it  after  some  severe  battles,  and  Edward 
IV.  became  King.  He  left  two  sons ;  but  Richard, 
Duke  of  Gloucester,  usurped  the  throne,  and  caused 
the  rightful  heir  and  his  brother  to  be  smothered  in 
the  Tower.  The  Earl  of  Richmond,  belonging  to  the 
house  of  Lancaster,  defeated  Richard  III.  in  the  battle 
of  Bosworth,  and  obtained  the  crown.  In  order  to 
strengthen  his  claim,  which  was  weak,  he  married  the 
daughter  of  Edward  IV.,  a  Yorkist,  thus  uniting  the 
two  branches,  which  had  so  long  been  struggling  for 
the  throne.  He  was  the  first  sovereign  of  the  Tudor 
family.  He  was  followed  by  his  son,  Henry  VIII., 
who  married  so  many  wives,  and  left  three  children, 
all  of  whom  became  sovereigns  of  England.  The 
son,  Edward  VI.,  succeeded  to  the  throne  at  the  age  of 
ten,  and  died  when  he  was  sixteen.  His  successor 
was  his  sister  Mary ;  and  at  her  death,  after  a  reign 
of  only  five  years,  Elizabeth  ascended  the  throne. 
She  was  queen  for  forty-four  years,  and  was  the  last 
of  the  Tudor  line. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       67 

"  Elizabeth  was  unmarried,  and  there  was  no  direct 
successor  to  the  crown.  James  IV.  of  Scotland  had 
married  the  oldest  daughter  of  Henry  VII.  of  Eng 
land,  and  their  son  was  James  V.  of  Scotland,  the 
father  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  James  VI.  of  Scot 
land,  son  of  Mary,  and  great-grandson  of  the  daughter 
of  Henry  VII.,  was  therefore  the  heir  to  the  throne, 
and  he  succeeded  Elizabeth,  being  the  first  of  the 
Stuarts  in  England. 

"  His  son,  Charles  I.,  followed  him.  During  his 
reign,  the  struggle  between  the  people  and  the  despotic 
power  of  the  Stuarts  culminated,  and  the  sovereign 
was  beheaded.  The  people  having  wrested  the  au 
thority  from  their  rulers,  the  Commonwealth  was 
established,  and  Cromwell  became  Protector.  Mon 
archy  was  restored  in  the  person  of  Charles  II.,  who 
died  after  a  reign  of  twenty-five  years,  and  was  suc 
ceeded  by  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  York,  who  became 
James  II.  He  was  a  Catholic,  and  endeavored  to  es 
tablish  the  Catholic  religion  in  England.  The  effort 
cost  him  his  crown,  for  he  was  compelled  to  abandon 
his  throne,  which  was  declared  vacant.  William, 
Prince  of  Orange,  who  had  married  James's  oldest 
daughter,  was  invited  to  visit  England,  and  landed 
with  an  army  at  Torbay.  The  principal  nobles  de 
serted  the  c'ause  of  the  absent  monarch,  and  flocked 
to  the  standard  of  his  son-in-law.  A  convention  de 
cided  that  the  king  had  abdicated  his  throne,  and 
declared  William  III.  and  Mary  the  joint  sovereigns 
of  England.  This  event  was  the  revolution  of  1688. 

"On  the  death  of  William — Mary  having  died 
seven  years  before  —  the  crown  descended  to  Anne, 


65  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Mary's  sister,  and  the  wife  of  Prince  George  of  Den 
mark.  She  left  no  children.  William  III.  had  pre 
vailed  upon  Parliament  to  establish  the  right  of 
succession  to  the  crown  in  favor  of  Sophia,  wife  of 
the  Elector  of  Hanover,  and  granddaughter  of  James 
I.  This  was  manifestly  unjust,  for  there  were  no  less 
than  fifty-seven  persons  who  had  a  better  right  than 
the  Electress  to  the  throne.  Sophia  died  a  short  time 
before  Anne,  and  her  son,  George  I.,  succeeded  to  the 
crown.  George  II.  was  his  son  ;  George  III.  was  the 
grandson  of  George  II.  George  IV.  was  the  son  of 
George  III.,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother,  under 
the  title  of  William  IV.  At  his  death  without  chil 
dren,  Victoria  came  to  the  throne.  She  is  the  grand 
daughter  of  George  III.,  and  the  niece  of  William. 

u  I  have  merely  indicated  the  line  of  sovereigns  who 
have  sat  upon  the  throne  of  England.  Captain  Ken 
dall,  I  dare  say  you  can  box  the  compass,  but  it  is  a 
more  difficult  thing  to  repeat  the  names  of  the  kings 
of  England." 

"  I  can  do  it  from  William  the  Conqueror,"  replied 
Paul. 

"  That  is  quite  enough  for  any  one  to  do,"  added 
the  instructor,  who  saw  that  his  pupils  were  getting 
tired  of  the  subject,  and  found  it  necessary  to  change 
his  tactics.  "  What  was  the  first  line  of  kings,  Mr. 
Goodwin?" 

"  The  Saxon." 

"  What  next,  Mr.  Ward?" 

"  The  Danes,  who  came  in  between  the  Saxons." 

"  What  followed,  Mr.  Pelham?" 

"  The  Norman." 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        69 

"And  then,  Lynch?" 

"  The  Stuart  family." 

"Not  yet.    Baxter?" 

"  Plantagenet  family." 

"  Right ;  it  had  two  branches.  Which  came  into 
power  first,  Mr.  Lavender?  " 

"  Lancaster." 

"Then,  Caldwell?" 

"  York." 

"  Who  was  the  last  king  of  the  house  of  York,  Mr. 
Josselyn  ?  " 

"  Richard  III." 

"  How  did  he  lose  his  crown,  Mr.  Robinson?" 

"  Killed  in  the  battle  of  Bosworth." 

"  What  house  came  then,  Hyde?  " 

"  Tudor." 

"  Who  was  the  first  king,  Baker?  " 

"  Henry  VII." 

"  Why  do  we  have  no  further  mention  of  York  and 
Lancaster,  Lamb  ?  " 

"  The  two  houses  were  united  by  the  marriage  of 
the  king  with  the  daughter  of  Edward  IV." 

"  Who  was  the  last  of  the  Tudors,  Mr.  Ellis?" 

"  Elizabeth." 

"  What  house  then,  Brown?  " 

"  Stuart." 

"  Last  of  that  line,  Boyden?" 

"  Anne." 

"What  then,  Johnson?" 

"  Hanover." 

'%'  Why  so  called,  Captain  Haven  ?  " 

"  Parliament,  at  the  desire  of  William  III.,  entailed 


70  RED    CROSS,    OR 

the  succession  upon  Sophia,  wife  of  the  Elector  of 
Hanover.  George  I.,  her  son,  was  the  Elector  of 
Hanover  when  called  to  the  throne.  It  is  sometimes 
called  the  house  of  Brunswick,  because  the  Elector 
was  also  Duke  of  Brunswick." 

"  To  what  house  does  Victoria  belong,  Mr.  Martyn  ?  " 

"  Hanover,  or  Brunswick." 

"  These  different  houses  of  course  are  all  connected 
by  blood,"  added  the  professor.  "  Now,  young  gen 
tlemen,  what  is  the  government  of  England?  " 

"  Limited  monarchy,"  shouted  twenty  of  them. 

"  Who  will  be  the  next  king?  " 

"  Albert  Edward,  now  Prince  of  Wales." 

"  He  will  reign  as  Edward  VII.  If  he  should  die 
before  his  mother,  who  would  succeed  her?" 

"  His  Royal  Highness  Alfred-Ernest-Albert,"  re 
plied  an  officer  who  had  been  studying  an  English 
almanac,  in  which  the  names  of  the  royal  family  were 
given  in  full. 

"  No,  sir !  "  interposed  Terrill.  "  Albert  Victor,  the 
baby." 

"  You  mean  the  son  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,"  said 
the  professor. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  the  son  comes  before  the  daughters,  and 
the  daughters  before  the  brothers  of  the  prince." 

"  You  said  the  government  of  England  was  a  lim 
ited  monarchy.  Who  limits  it?  What  is  it  limited 
by  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Mapps. 

"  Limited  by  the  people,  who  have,  for  hundreds  of 
years,  been  taking  away  from  the  king  some  of  his 
powers,"  replied  Terrill.  "  They  compelled  the  sover 
eign  to  give  them  their  rights." 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.         *Jl 

"Limited  by  what?" 

"  By  the  constitution,"  answered  several. 

"  We  have  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  in 
our  library.  Is  the  British  constitution  there?  " 

"  I  never  saw  it,"  said  a  student,  after  a  long  silence. 

"  Then  probably  it  is  not  there,"  laughed  Mr. 
Mapps.  "  The  British  constitution  is  not  a  written 
document,  like  that  of  the  United  States.  It  is  very 
much  like  the  common  law,  which  consists  of  certain 
well-established  principles,  rather  than  a  written  code. 
In  a  court  of  justice  it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  deter 
mine  exactly  what  the  law  is.  The  legal  gentlemen 
cite  the  decisions  made  by  judges  which  have  a  bear 
ing  on  the  case.  The  British  constitution  is  scat 
tered  through  the  history  of  the  country,  recorded  in 
the  legal  decisions  of  the  high  courts,  or  existing  in 
the  established  customs  of  the  realm.  For  example, 
Charles  I.  claimed  the  right  to  tax  his  subjects  to  pro 
cure  ships  for  his  service,  whenever  he  should  think 
proper  to  do  so.  The  people  resisted  the  imposition, 
John  Hampden  foremost,  and  though  not  immediately 
successful,  this  and  other  arbitrary  acts  of  the  king 
finally  cost  him  his  life,  and  the  principle  was  estab 
lished  that  the  sovereign  could  not  tax  the  people  with 
out  their  consent.  If  Queen  Victoria  wants  money  of 
the  people,  Parliament,  consisting  of  their  representa 
tives,  must  vote  it.  Who  elect  members  of  Parlia 
ment?" 

"  The  people." 

"All  of  them?" 

"  Everybody  can't  vote,  as  in  the  United  States." 

"  The  privilege  of  voting  has  been  frequently  ex- 


^2  RED    CROSS,    OR 

tended,  and  the  basis  of  representation  equalized  ;  but 
it  does  not  even  yet  come  up  to  the  American  idea  of 
universal  suffrage.  In  England  there  have  always  been 
at  least  two  political  parties  —  the  Tories  or  conserva 
tives,  who  represent  old  ideas,  favor  existing  forms, 
and  the  privileges  of  the  crown  and  the  nobility ;  and 
the  Whig,  Liberal,  or  Radical  party,  which  has  favored 
progress,  enlarged  suffrage,  and  generally  the  rights  of 
the  people  as  distinguished  from  the  nobility.  Some 
times  one  of  these  parties,  and  sometimes  the  other,  is 
in  power ;  that  is,  it  has  a  majority  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  whose  members  are  elected  by  the  people. 
The  sovereign  is  not  supposed  to  belong  to  either 
party.  If  the  party  in  power  should  be  defeated  on 
an  important  measure  in  Parliament,  the  cabinet,  whose 
members  carry  on  the  government  in  the  name  of  the 
king,  and  who  are  his  advisers,  are  generally  com 
pelled  to  resign  their  offices.  The  king  then  calls  in 
some  powerful  and  influential  statesman  of  the  oppo 
site  party,  and  requests  him  to  form  a  new  govern 
ment.  Of  course  all  these  things  are  '  cut  and  dried  ' 
beforehand,  and  the  premier,  or  prime  minister,  hands 
in  a  new  list  of '  Her  Majesty's  Chief  Officers  of  State,' 
and  they  are  duly  installed  in  their  positions.  Fifteen 
of  these  officers  are  her  majesty's  advisers,  and  form 
the  cabinet.  The  premier  is  First  Lord  of  the  Treas 
ury,  and  the  other  principal  officers  are  the  Lord 
High  Chancellor,  who  is  '  keeper  of  the  king's  con 
science,'  and  nominally  at  the  head  of  the  Judiciary  ; 
of  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  who  has  charge 
of  the  finances  of  the  country  ;  the  Lord  President  of 
the  Council,  the  Lord  Privy  Seal,  five  Secretaries  of 
State,  and  others. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND   WALES.        73 

"  The  dominant  party  is  now  in  power,  having  a 
majority  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  being  repre 
sented  by  the  government.  The  cabinet  officers  are 
required  to  hold  seats  in  one  of  the  houses  of  Parlia 
ment,  and  the  party  is  in  condition  to  carry  forward 
its  measures,  until  the  ministers  are  overwhelmed  by  a 
bad  defeat,  when  they  will  be  compelled  to  retire. 

"  The  three  estates  of  the  realm  are  the  lords  spir 
itual,  the  lords  temporal,  and  the  commons,  the  first 
two  forming  the  House  of  Lords.  The  lords  spiritual 
are  the  archbishops  of  Canterbury  and  York,  twenty- 
four  English  and  four  Irish  bishops.  It  is  now  gen 
erally  understood,  I  think,  that  the  bishops  hold  their 
position  in  the'  Lords  as  territorial  barons,  rather 
than  as  ecclesiastics.  Besides  being  a  legislative 
body,  the  House  of  Lords  is  the  highest  court  of  jus 
tice  in  the  realm,  to  which  an  appeal  is  had  from  other 
courts  in  certain  cases ;  that  is,  it  may  sit  as  a  court, 
or  as  a  law-making  power. 

"  The  lords  temporal  are  dukes,  marquises,  earls, 
viscounts,  and  barons,  their  rank  being  in  the  order 
mentioned.  They  are  privileged  persons,  being  en 
titled  by  birth  or  patent  to  a  seat  in  the  House  of 
Lords,  and  to  a  trial  by  their  peers,  or  persons  of  noble 
birth,  if  charged  with  treason  or  felony,  and  are  ex 
empt  from  arrest  in  civil  cases." 

"What  is  a  lord?"  asked  one  of  the  students. 
"  You  mentioned  only  dukes,  marquises,  earls,  vis 
counts,  and  barons." 

"  Lord  is  a  title  applied  to  an  earl,  and  to  certain 
other  persons  by  courtesy.  For  example,  the  eldest 
son  of  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  takes  his  second 
7 


74  RED    CROSS,    OR 

title,  Earl  Percy,  or  Lord  Percy ;  the  carl's  son  is 
a  viscount ;  and  the  sons  of  a  viscount  arc  called 
'  Honorable.'  The  duke's  younger  sons  are  '  Lords  ' 
by  courtesy,  but  they  may  have  no  legal  right  to  the 
title." 

"  What  is  a  baronet?  "  asked  another  student.  "  Is 
it  the  same  as  a  baron  ?  " 

"  No ;  a  baron  is  a  peer  of  the  lowest  grade  in  the 
House  of  Lords,  while  a  baronet  is  a  commoner,  and 
has  the  lowest  hereditary  rank.  A  knight  is  an  hon 
orary  distinction  conferred  by  the  sovereign.  Knights 
and  baronets  are  addressed  as  '  Sir.'  Certain  judges 
are  called  barons  in  virtue  of  their  office. 

"  One  word  more,  about  the  church  of  England, 
and  I  shall  have  finished.  The  church  and  state  go 
together,  the  former  being  incorporated  with  the  latter, 
and  the  sovereign  being  the  head  of  both.  The  king 
dom  is  divided,  for  church  purposes,  into  two  prov 
inces,  Canterbury  and  York,  each  of  which  is  presided 
over  by  an  archbishop,  who  has  the  general  super 
vision  of  all  the  dioceses  with  it.  A  diocese  is  com 
posed  of  all  the  churches  in  the  care  of  a  bishop,  and 
the  bishop's  church  is  a  cathedral,  to  which. there  are 
also  attached  a  dean  and  chapter,  by  whom  the  bishop 
is  nominally  elected.  The  dean  is  a  kind  of  assistant 
to  the  head  of  the  diocese.  Each  of  the  two  arch 
bishops  has  a  cathedral,  and  performs  the  duties  of  a 
bishop.  The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  is  Primate 
of  all  England,  and  crowns  the  sovereign  in  virtue  of 
his  office.  His  revenues,  derived  mostly  from  lands, 
amount  to  fifteen  thousand  pounds  a  year.  The  Arch 
bishop  of  York  has  ten  thousand.  The  Bishop  of 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND   WALES.        75 

London  also  has  ten  thousand  pounds  a  year,  which  is 
double  the  salary  of  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
All  the  other  bishops  have  from  four  to  eight  thousand 
pounds  a  year,  while  some  of  the  clergymen  have  but 
fifty  pounds,  though  the  average  is  about  two  hundred 
and  eighty  pounds.  The  right  to  appoint  the  parish 
clergyman,  called  a  benefice  or  '  living,'  often  rests 
with  the  nobility,  who  give  them  to  their  friends. 

"  I  will  not  detain  you  longer,  young  gentlemen, 
though  there  are  many  other  topics  which  need  atten 
tion." 

The  professor  retired,  and  the  students  were  dis 
missed. 


76  RED   CROSS,    OR 


CHAPTER  V. 

A   GLANCE   AT    LIVERPOOL. 

WHEN  the  lecture  was  finished,  Mr.  Lowington 
invited   Paul   to  his  state-room  for  a  further 
conference  on  business  affairs. 

"  Captain  Kendall,"  said  he,  "  one  matter  has  been 
overlooked  in  the  appointment  of  your  officers.     Youi 
•have  no  purser." 

"  I  did  not  suppose  I  needed  any,"  replied  the  young 
commander. 

"  When  you  give  your  crew  liberty,  they  will  want 
a  little  money,  and  it  will  not  always  be  convenient  to 
pipe  them  on  board  the  ship  to  supply  this  need.  I 
cannot  now  appoint  a  purser  for  you  without  deranging 
all  the  offices.  You  will  therefore  require  your  third 
and  fourth  masters  to  keep  your  accounts  and  pay  the 
allowances.  This  must  be  done  under  your  personal 
supervision,  and  you  will  approve  each  order  before  it 
is  paid,  precisely  as  I  have  done." 

"  But  am  I  to  keep  the  money  on  board  the  Jose 
phine?"  asked  Paul. 

"  Certainly  ;  a  vessel  should  never  be  without  the 
means  of  paying  her  way.  When  you  go  on  your 
cruise,  your  steward  must  buy  fresh  provisions,  if  you 
go  into  port ;  you  must  pay  the  pilots,  and  you  might 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND   AND   WALES.          77 

need  repairs.  In  your  state-room,  under  your  berth, 
doubtless  you  found  an  iron  chest,  like  a  safe.  Here 
is  the  key  of  it." 

Paul  took  the  key,  and  felt  that  his  responsibilities 
were  increasing. 

"  I  shall  give  you  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  one 
hundred  in  gold,  and  the  rest  in  small  silver,  suitable 
for  paying  the  allowances.  Dr.  Winstock  and  Mr. 
Mapps  will  go  on  board  with  you,  and  you  can  make 
your  arrangements  immediately  for  the  parties  who 
are  to  go  on  shore." 

"  How  much  shall  I  pay  the  students  for  this  after 
noon  ?  "  asked  Paul,  after  he  had  received  the  money. 

"  Two  shillings  each,"  replied  Mr.  Lowington. 

They  went  on  deck,  and  the  officers  and  crew  of 
the  Josephine  returned  to  the  vessel,  accompanied  by 
Mr.  Mapps  and  Dr.  Winstock.  The  boats  were  made 
fast  to  the  swinging  boom,  as  the  ship's  company  were 
so  soon  to  go  on  shore  in  them.  Paul  and  the  surgeon 
had  freely  discussed  the  liberty  question,  and  though 
the  doctor  had  some  grave  doubts,  the  young  captain 
decided  to  try  the  experiment  of  giving  the  students 
entire  freedom  on  shore.  He  believed  that  the  surest 
road  to  a  boy's  confidence  is  to  trust  him  until  he  has 
proved  himself  unworthy  to  be  trusted.  All  hands 
were  piped  to  muster,  and  Paul  explained  the  pro 
gramme  for  the  afternoon.  He  begged  of  them  to  be 
have  like  gentlemen,  to  refrain  from  drinking  ale  or 
any  other  strong  beverages,  and  to  be  at  the  landing- 
place  precisely  at  six  o'clock. 

The  students  were  astonished  at  the  degree  of  free 
dom  granted,  and  when  Captain  Kendall  finished  his 
7* 


78  RED    CROSS,    OR 

speech,  three  hearty  cheers  were  given.  Paul  then 
announced  that  two  shillings  would  be  paid  to  each 
student,  and  they  were  required  to  march  through  the 
cabin  and  present  their  orders.  As  soon  as  the}'  were 
dismissed,  they  went  to  the  steerage,  wrote  their  orders, 
and  by  this  time  the  third  and  fourth  masters  were  pre 
pared  to  pay  them.  Captain  Kendall  sat  at  one  table, 
and,  with  becoming  gravity  and  dignity,  affixed  his 
initials  to  each  paper  as  it  was  presented  to  him.  The* 
acting  pursers  paid  the  order,  indorsed  it  on  the  re 
ceipt  which  Mr.  Lowington  had  given  to  each  boy, 
handed  in  with  the  order.  The  business  proceeded  as 
regularly  as  on  board  the  ship,  and  the  students  passed 
up  the  companion-way  to  the  deck,  as  soon  as  they 
received  their  allowance. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  was  no  grumbling  at 
the  smallness  of  the  amount.  The  boys  all  appeared  to 
be  in  excellent  humor,  and  to  appreciate  the  privileges 
which  had  been  granted  to  them.  It  was  understood 
that,  so  far  as  liberty  was  concerned,  they  were  faring 
better  than  their  companions  on  board  of  the  ship. 
The  Josephine  was  intended  for  an  experiment  in  self- 
government,  and  if  any  of  her  crew  could  not  take 
care  of  themselves,  could  not  be  trusted,  they  were  to 
go  back  to  the  Young  America,  where  the  strict  su 
pervision  to  which  they  had  been  accustomed  was  still 
retained,  and  where  the  boys  were  not  to  be  permitted 
to  go  ashore  without  some  one  to  take  charge  of  them. 

"  I  don't  exactly  understand  this  business,"  said  Lynch 
to  his  friend  Grossbeck,  as  they  walked  forward. 

"  What  don't  you  understand?"  asked  the  other. 

"  We  are  to  go  on  shore,  as  the  nobs  themselves  do, 
with  no  one  to  watch  us." 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        79 

"  That's  so ;  but  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  it  was  a 
trap." 

"  A  trap  !  "  exclaimed  Lynch. 

"  Don't  you  suppose  Lowington  wants  to  get  all  the 
chaplain's  lambs  into  this  vessel  ? "  inquired  Gross- 
beck. 

"  If  he  did,  why  didn't  he' send  them  on  board?" 

"  Because  it  wouldn't  look  fair ;  but  I  can  tell  you 
fthis:  if  a  fellow  drinks  a  little  beer,  or  overstays  his 
time,  you  will  find  he  will  get  his  walking  ticket." 

"  Then  we  had  better  keep  our  eyes  wide  open. 
The  fellows  say  the  captain  has  no  orders  from  the 
principal,  but  does  everything  just  as  he  pleases." 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  that,  but  I  do  know 
we  are  having  plenty  of  liberty  here,  andr  for  one,  I 
don't  want  to  be  sent  back  to  the  ship." 

u  I'm  rather  sorry  we  made  that  half  sovereign 
apiece  last  night." 

"Why?" 

"  I'm  afraid  it  will  come  out.  I'm  going  to  leave 
mine  on  board  —  hide  it  somewhere." 

"What  for?" 

"  Then  I  shall  not  be  tempted  to  spend  it,  and  get 
into  a  scrape,"  replied  the  prudent  Lynch,  who  was 
going  to  be  good  for  the  loaves  and  fishes,  rather  than 
because  it  was  right  to  be  good. 

Grossbeck  concluded  to  be  equally  cautious.  They 
went  below  ;  they  concealed  the  gold  in  the  sole  of 
one  of  their  sea  boots,  which  had  begun  to  rip  open. 

"  What  about  McLeish?"  asked  Lynch,  after  they 
had  disposed  of  their  ill-gotten  gain. 

"  Nothing  at  all,"  replied  Grossbeck.  "  Let  him 
stay  where  he  is," 


So  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  He  will  blow  on  us  if  we  don't  do  something  for 
him." 

"What  can  we  do?"  asked  Grossbeck. 

"  If  we  could  contrive  some  way  to  get  him  off,  it 
would  be  a  good  thing  for  all  hands,  and  get  us  out  of 
the  scrape." 

"  I  don't  see  any  way  to  get  him  off." 

"  We  can  take  him  out  of  the  brig  any  time  we 
like.  When  will  our  anchor  watch  come  round 
again." 

Grossbeck  made  a  calculation,  and  found  their  turn 
would  come  on  Monday  morning,  from  two  till  four. 

"  Then  we  can  bargain  with  some  shore  boat  to 
come  alongside  and  take  him  off  at  three  o'clock,  say," 
added  Lynch. 

"  But  the  officer  will  not  let  a  boat  come  alongside." 

"  We  can  manage  it  somehow." 

"  Who  will  pay  the  boatman?  " 

"  McLeish,  of  course." 

"  I  don't  know  about  it." 

"  I  tell  you  we  must  get  rid  of  McLeish,  for  our 
own  sake.  He  will  blow  on  us  —  tell  the  captain  that 
we  let  him  out,  and  took  his  money.  I  tell  you  we 
are  in  a  bad  scrape.  MeLeish  is  a  mean  pup,  and  he 
would  betray  his  best  friend." 

"  I'll  leave  it  to  you,  Lynch  ;  it  is  your  affair,  not 
mine ;  but  I  will  help." 

Lynch  went  below,  and  wrote  on  a  piece  of  paper 
the  question,  "  Will  you  pay  one  pound  to  the  boat 
man  that  takes  you  off?"  McLeish  was  standing  at 
the  grated  door  of  the  brig,  and  the  writer  slyly  handed 
the  paper  to  him.  In  a  moment  it  was  returned  with 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        8 1 

an  affirmative  answer  written  upon  it.  The  bout- 
swain's  pipe  to  dinner  prevented  him  from  saying 
anything  more  to  Grossbeck.  Having  done  a  little 
wrong  in  meddling  with  the  prisoner,  he  felt  com 
pelled  to  do  more  in  order  to  save  himself  from  the 
consequence ;  a  frequent  experience  with  the  evil 
doer,  which  ought  to  convince  the  tempted  that  the 
first  step  in  error  is  the  most  dangerous  one. 

After  dinner,  the  boats  were  manned,  and  with 
Gage  the  carpenter,  and  Cleats  the  boatswain,  who 
were  to  act  as  boat-keepers,  the  ship's  company  em 
barked.  The  Mersey,  between  Liverpool  and  Birken- 
head,  is  about  a  mile  in  width,  and  being  open  to  the 
sea,  the  water  is  frequently  quite  rough.  The  ship 
and  her  consort  were  moored  above  Birkenhead,  where 
they  were  partially  sheltered.  There  are  no  wharves 
along  the  river,  as  in  New  York  or  Boston,  and  all 
ships  taking  in  or  discharging  cargo  go  into  the  docks. 
The  highest  tides  in  the  Mersey  rise  thirty-three  feet, 
and  the  lowest  twenty,  so  that,  if  the  shores  of  the 
river  were  less  exposed  to  the  violence  of  the  sea,  it 
would  not  be  practicable  for  vessels  to  lie  at  wharves. 

The  boats  pulled  for  the  George's  Landing  Stage, 
which  is  the  starting-place  for  no  less  than  seven  fer 
ries  running  to  Birkenhead,  The  stage  is  a  floating 
structure,  like  an  American  ferry-drop,  rising  and  fall 
ing  with  the  tide.  It  is,  in  fact,  an  immense  box, 
made  water-tight,  and  resting  level  on  the  water.  It 
is  reached  by  a  kind  of  bridge,  the  descent  of  which 
at  low  tide  is  quite  steep.  This  and  two  other 
stages  like  it,  are  the  only  convenient  landing-places 
in  front  of  the  city. 


82  HED    CROSS,    OR 

Most  of  the  ocean  steamers  plying  between  England 
and  the  United  States  have  Liverpool  for  their  eastern 
terminus.  While  in  port  these  ships  lie  in  the  docks  ; 
but  when  ready  to  sail  they  are  anchored  in  the  river, 
and  the  passengers  are  taken  off  to  them  in  tugs  from 
the  George's  Landing  Stage.  On  their  arrival  also, 
they  moor  in  the  stream,  and  their  passengers  are 
landed  by  the  same  means.  Though  the  docks  are 
the  pride  of  Liverpool,  New  York  is  certainly  more 
convenient  for  the  landing  of  passengers. 

The  Josephine's  boats,  after  a  rough  pull  of  a  mile 
and  a  half,  reached  the  Landing  Stage,  where  they  were 
soon  joined  by  those  of  the  Young  America.  The 
crew  of  the  latter  had  been  divided  into  parties,  and 
each  was  in  charge  of  one  of  the  faculty  ;  but  the  offi 
cers  were  permitted  to  go  where  they  pleased,  without 
any  supervision.  The  boats  were  carefully  secured 
between  the  Landing  Stage  and  the  shore,  and  left  in 
charge  of  the  adult  forward  officers.  In  a  few  mo 
ments  the  students  had  scattered  in  every  direction. 

Captain  Kendall  and  the  doctor  walked  off  together, 
as  by  mutual  consent,  for  they  were  much  attached  to 
each  other,  and  were  in  company  whenever  their  re 
spective  duties  permitted.  Paul,  for  the  time,  laid 
aside  his  cares  and  responsibilities.  He  was  a  keen 
observer,  and  was  anxious  to  obtain  information.  The 
surgeon  had  been  a  great  traveller,  and  was  competent 
to  explain  the  wonders  of  most  of  the  European  cities. 

"Well,  Paul,  where  are  you  going?"  asked  the 
doctor. 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  I  want  to  see  the  city,"  replied 
the  captain. 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       83 

"  There  is  not  much  to  see  except  the  docks,  and 
these  are  on  both  sides  of  us.  Here  is  George's  Dock 
in  front  of  us." 

"  It  doesn't  seem  to  be  anything  but  a  wharf,"  added 
Paul,  who  had  heard  so  much  of  the  Liverpool  docks 
that  he  had  expected  to  see  something  wonderful. 

"It  is  not  a  wharf.  You  perceive  that  it  is  sur 
rounded  by  warehouses,  and  the  tide  does  not  rise 
and  fall  within  the  enclosure.  A  dock  is  an  immense 
excavation  or  walled  space,  with  gates,  like  those 
opening  to  the  locks  of  a  canal,  through  which  ships 
are  admitted.  The  gates  are  opened,  of  course,  only 
at  high  tide.  Those  gates,  you  see,  swing  into  the 
dock,  and  all  of  them  are  constructed  on  the  same 
principle.  Now,  Paul,  you  are  a  philosopher :  can 
you  tell  me  why  they  never  swing  the  gates  out 
ward?"  asked  Dr.  Winstock,  laughing. 

"  That's  a  plain  case,  I  think,"  answered  the  stu 
dent.  "  If  they  swung  outward,  the  pressure  of  the 
water  would  open  them  when  the  tide  goes  down  on 
the  outside." 

"Just  so  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  water  in  the  river  goes 
down,  the  pressure  of  that  in  the  dock  keeps  the  gates 
shut." 

"  But  a  vessel  can  leave  the  port  only  at  high  tide." 

"  She  can  come  out  of  the  dock  only  at  high  tide." 

"  Do  the  coast  steamers  which  run  to  Dublin,  Cork, 
Belfast,  and  Bristol  go  into  these  docks?" 

"  Not  into  the  closed  ones.  There  are  two  kinds  of 
docks,  wet  and  dry,  the  latter  being  used  only  for  re 
pairing  ships.  And  there  are  two  kinds  of  wet  docks, 
those  with  gates  and  those  without,  the  latter  being 


84  RED   CROSS,   OR 

generally  called  basins.  Half  a  mile  below  here  is 
Clarence  Basin,  often  called  a  dock,  from  which  most 
of  the  coast  steamers  arrive  and  depart,"  said  the  doc 
tor,  as  they  crossed  the  bridge  over  the  opening  of  the 
dock. 

"  Hallo  !  "  exclaimed  Paul.     "  This  looks  natural." 

"What?" 

"  Why,  here  is  a  horse  railroad." 

"  Yes,  and  that,  I  think,  is  the  only  one  you  will  find 
in  the  United  Kingdom.  It  runs  along  the  docks,  but 
is  not  permitted  to  extend  up  into  the  streets." 

"  These  benighted  Britishers  are  a  hundred  years 
behind  the  times.  Of  course  they  know  what  horse 
railroads  are,  for  here  is  one." 

"  They  are  prejudiced  against  them.  A  tram-way, 
as  they  call  it,  was  laid  down  in  London,  but  it  was 
deemed  so  great  an  innovation  that  it  was  removed. 
If  you  please,  we  will  take  a  cab  and  ride  down  to  the 
Canada  and  Huskisson  Docks,  which  are  the  largest 
in  the  city.  The  latter  has  just  been  completed. 
Here  is  a  Hansom  ! " 

"A  what?"    asked  Paul. 

"  A  Hansom  cab  ;  I  forgot  that  you  had  never  been 
here.  These  vehicles  are  very  convenient,  and  cheap, 
judged  by  our  American  standard  of  prices." 

The  doctor  beckoned  to  the  driver  of  the  Hansom, 
which  is  peculiarly  an  English  institution.  The  body 
of  the  vehicle  is  something  like  an  American  two- 
wheeled  chaise,  the  bottom  of  which  rests  within 
about  a  foot  of  the  pavement,  so  that  the  passenger 
takes  but  a  single  step  to  get  into  it.  The  driver  is 
perched  in  a  little  seat  attached  to  the  back  part  of 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       85 

the  top,  the  reins  passing  from  the  horse  over  the  cov 
ering.  A  couple  of  wooden  'doors,  curved  to  accom 
modate  the  legs  of  the  occupants,  close  over  him  like 
a  boot,  and  a  glass  partition  can  be  shut  to  meet  it, 
so  as  to  protect  them  from  the  weather.  We  have 
seen  one  of  these  vehicles  in  New  York. 

Paul  followed  the  doctor  into  the  Hansom,  which 
is  named  after  its  inventor,  and  when  it  started  he  was 
disturbed  by  an  unpleasant  apprehension  that  the  thing 
would  tip  up,  and  throw  the  horse  over  his  head  ;  but 
no  such  calamity  occurred,  and  after  a  drive  of  two 
miles,  the  passengers  were  landed  on  the  bridge  be 
tween  the  Canada  and  Huskisson  Docks.  The  familiar 
steamers  of  the  Cunard  line,  which  Paul  had  seen  in 
Boston  and  New  York,  were  lying  here.  • 

"  This  is  the  Huskisson  Dock,"  said  Dr.  Winstock, 
pointing  to  the  left  of  the  bridge.  "  It  was  built  to 
accommodate  these  large  ocean  steamers.  It  has  a 
water  area  of  fourteen  acres,  and  about  two  thirds  of 
a  mile  of  quay  on  its  sides.  Its  widest  entrance  is 
eighty  feet.  No  fires  are  allowed  on  board  of  any 
vessels  in  the  docks,  and  ships  are  obliged  to  board 
their  men  on  shore  while  they  are  in  port.  This 
is  to  prevent  the  danger  of  a  fire  among  the  ships 
and  warehouses." 

The  aggregate  area  of  the  wet  docks  of  Liverpool 
is  one  hundred  and  seventy-four  acres,  surrounded  by 
fourteen  miles  of  quays.  Nearly  all  these  docks  open 
from  basins,  in  which  the  tide  rises  and  falls  as  in  the 
river. 

Liverpool  is  of  modern  growth  and  importance,  for 
two  hundred  years  ago  only  fifteen  ships  belonged  to 
8 


86  RED    CROSS,   OR 

the  port.  It  was  once  largely  engaged  in  the  African 
slave  trade,  and  one  hundred  years  ago  more  than 
half  this  trade  was  carried  on  by  Liverpool  mer 
chants.  It  has  now  an  immense  trade  in  cotton  and 
cotton  goods,  the  great  bulk  of  the  raw  material  being 
received  at  this  port,  from  which  also  the  greater  por 
tion  of  the  manufactured  goods  are  exported  to  all 
parts  of  the  world.  Nearly  one  third  of  its  tonnage 
is  employed  in  the  trade  with  the  United  States. 

"Now,  Paul,  if  you  have  seen  enough  of  the  docks, 
we  will  ride  up  into  the  city,"  continued  the  doctor, 
after  they  had  walked  by  the  fort,  whose  frowning  bat 
teries  command  the  river,  to  the  gates  of  the  Canada 
Dock. 

"  I  would  like  to  get  an  idea  of  the  city,"  replied 
Paul. 

"  Drive  through  Great  Howard  Street  to  the  Ex 
change,"  added  the  surgeon,  as  he  seated  himself  in 
the  Hansom. 

"  Do  you  know  the  streets,  doctor?"  asked  Paul. 

"  Certainly ;  I  have  spent  two  or  three  weeks  in 
Liverpool  at  different  times  while  waiting  for  steam 
ers." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  you  could  remember  them,  you 
have  been  to  so  many  places." 

"  You  have  been  to  a  dozen  different  cities  in 
Europe ;  don't  you  remember  the  names  of  the 
streets  ?  " 

"  But  you  have  been  to  a  hundred  or  more." 

"  That  makes  no  difference ;  the  mind  has  its  pic 
ture  of  each  one  distinctly  drawn.  This  street  runs 
parallel  with  the  river.  Next  beyond  it  is  Vauxhall 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.       87 

Road,  and  beyond  that  Scotland  Road.  In  the  centre 
of  the  city  the  streets  run  in  all  directions,  and  it  would 
bother  a  Philadelphian,  accustomed  to  straight  streets, 
and  a  square  plan,  to  find  his  way.  Most  of  the 
streets  diverge  from  the  square  on  which  are  situated 
the  Lime  Street  railway  station,  where  you  may  take 
the  train  for  London,  St.  George's  Hall,  St.  John's 
Church,  and  the  Washington  Hotel,  where  I  always 
stay  when  here,  because  I  like  its  name,  as  well  as  be 
cause  it  is  a  good  house.  From  this  point  Renshaw 
Street  runs  to  the  north-east ;  Whitechapel  and  Para 
dise  Streets  to  the  east ;  Dale  Street  to  the  south : 
Scotland  Road  to  the  west,  and  London  Road  to  the 
north.  It  is  not  easy  to  find  your  way  about  Liver 
pool." 

"  It  looks  like  the  meanest  part  of  New  York  or 
Boston  here." 

"  You  are  in  a  dirty  part  of  the  city  now.  Liver 
pool  is  more  like  an  American  city  than  any  other 
European  town  I  know  of —  like  Boston  in  the  irreg 
ularity  of  its  streets.  There,  it  is  said,  the  streets 
follow  the  paths  made  by  Mr.  Blackstone's  cows ; 
and  Liverpool  may  have  been  laid  out  on  the  same 
plan." 

The  Hansom  soon  left  its  passengers  at  the  Ex 
change,  and  the  vehicle  was  dismissed,  the  travellers 
preferring  to  walk  for  a  time.  They  passed  through 
the  building,  which  is  very  much  like  similar  edifices, 
though  it  is  on  a  very  extensive  plan,  forming  three 
sides  of  a  square  around  the  Town  Hall.  The  open 
space  between  the  two  buildings  contains  a  statue  of 
Nelson,  and  it  is  occupied  by  those  busy  men  who 


88  RED    CROSS,    OR 

throng  Wall  and  State  Streets  in  the  busy  hour  of 
the  day.  The  Town  Hall  is  a  handsome  building 
surmounted  by  a  dome,  on  which  rests  a  statue  of 
Britannia. 

"  Why  don't  they  call  this  the  City  Hall,  as  we  do 
in  America?"  asked  Paul,  as  they  entered  the  build 
ing. 

"  It  is  not  the  custom,  I  suppose  ;  but  the  term  city 
has  not  always  been  used  in  England  as  in  our  coun 
try.  It  was  applied  to  a  place  in  which  the  bishop's 
cathedral  was  located,  and  from  which  the  diocese 
derived  its  name.  Chester  was  a  city,  because  it  was 
the  residence  of  the  bishop  ;  while  Liverpool  was  not 
a  city,  because  it  had  no  bishop.  In  theory,  the  dis 
tinction  holds  good  to  the  present  time,  I  suppose ; 
if  so,  this  is  a  town  hall,  and  not  a  city  hall." 

"  It's  a  queer  town  hall,"  added  Paul,  as  they  as 
cended  the  broad  staircase  adorned  with  pictures. 
"  It  looks  more  like  a  dwelling-house  than  a  place 
where  the  public  business  is  transacted." 

"  You  will  find  it  is  intended  for  other  purposes  than 
mere  business  affairs,"  added  the  doctor,  as  he  engaged 
an  attendant  to  show  the  rooms. 

They  were  conducted  through  a  saloon,  two  draw 
ing-rooms,  two  ball-rooms,  a  banqueting-room,  and  a 
refectory,  all  of  them  fitted  up  and  furnished  in  the 
most  elegant  and  costly  manner. 

"  I  think  the  Lord  Mayor  has  a  good  time  here," 
said  Paul  when  the  attendant  had  been  dismissed. 

"  He  holds  receptions,  gives  dinners,  and  has  an 
occasional  ball  in  these  rooms.  He  is  obliged  to  do 
these  things  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  his  position, 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.       89 

and  to  do  credit  to  the  hospitality  of  the  city.  But, 
Paul,  you  must  not  call  him  Lord  Mayor.  He  is 
simply  a  mayor,  and  is  addressed  as  his  '  worship,' " 
replied  Dr.  Winstock. 

"  I  thought  the  mayors  of  all  the  large  cities  were 
lords.  The  mayor  of  Dublin  was  certainly  called 
Lord  Mayor." 

"  That  is  very  true.  The  chief  municipal  officer 
of  London  and  Dublin  are  Lord  Mayors  by  special 
royal  grant,  but  the  mayors  of  York  and  Edinburgh 
also  have  this  prefix.  No  other  city  is  entitled  to  this 
distinction.  There  are  a  great  many  little  things  to 
learn,"  continued  the  doctor,  as  they  walked  through 
Castle  Street  to  the  Custom  House. 

"  I  know  there  are.  One  cannot  pass  through 
the  streets  without  being  perplexed  with  something 
he  does  not  understand.  There's  a  sign,  '  Wine  and 
Spirit  Vault.' " 

"  That's  merely  a  rum-shop.  The  keeper  is  licensed 
to  sell  liquor,  and  he  makes  a  great  spread.  In  Lon 
don  and  other  cities  there  are  immense  wine  and  ale 
vaults,  containing  millions  of  pounds'  worth  of  beer 
or  spirits.  These  men  ape  the  large  establishments, 
and  call  their  cellars  '  vaults.'  Very  likely  some  of 
them  are  entitled  to  the  name." 

"Just  now  I  saw  the  sign,  'J.  Grubbie,  Hatter  to 
H.  R.  H.  the  Prince  of  Wales.'  I  have  seen  a  dozen 
such  signs  in  Dublin,  Edinburgh,  and  Glasgow." 

"  That  is  another  weakness  for  high-sounding  names. 

It  is  possible  J.  Grubbie  made  a  hat  for  H.  R.  H. ;  but 

it  is  more  probably  that  J.  G.  had  some  friend,  who 

had  another  friend,  whose  intimate  friend  was  a  valet. 

8* 


90  RED    CROSS,    OR 

of  H.  R.  H. ;  and  when  H.  R.  H.  was  in  particularly 
good  humor,  he  was  asked  to  write  a  line  for  J.  Grub- 
bie,  hatter  ;  but  in  that  case,  Grubbie  would  probably 
put  on  his  sign,  '  By  special  Appointment,  Hatter  to 
H.  R.  H.'  If  the  Prince  of  Wales  happens  to  want  a 
pair  of  boots  while  in  Liverpool,  the  lucky  tradesman 
who  has  the  good  fortune  to  sell  him  a  pair,  immedi 
ately  has  a  new  sign,  and  announces  to  the  public  that 
he  is  bootmaker  to  H.  R.  H.  Of  course  it  is  all  a 
humbug,  and  when  I  wish  to  purchase  anything,  I 
avoid  these  signs,  which  are  as  thick  as  snow-flakes 
at  Christmas  in  all  the  principal  cities  in  the  kingdom. 
Here  is  the  Custom  House.  It  is  a  magnificent  build 
ing,  both  in  size  and  in  its  architectural  proportions." 

A  glance  at  the  exterior  was  enough  to  satisfy  Paul, 
and  they  walked  up  to  St.  George's  Hall,  passing  St. 
John's  Church,  an  ancient  structure,  the  slope  of  the 
hill  by  the  side  of  it  being  a  cemetery  in  which  there 
is  a  multitude  of  antiquated  tombstones,  and  slabs 
lying  flat  on  the  ground.  St.  George's  Hall  is  the 
finest  public  building  in  Liverpool.  Its  architecture 
is  Corinthian,  with  columns  forty-five  feet  high. 
It  contains  two  large  rooms  used  for  the  Assizes 
Court,  and  a  great  hall,  one  hundred  and  sixty-one 
feet  long  by  seventy-five  in  width,  and  the  same  in 
height,  in  which  concerts  and  public  meetings  are 
held.  It  cost  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  pounds. 

A  ride  in  the  omnibus  to  the  Necropolis,  a  noted 
cemetery,  and  the  Zoological  Gardens,  which  are  justly 
celebrated,  completed  the  excursion  for  the  day,  and 
before  six  o'clock  Paul  reached  the  Landing  Stage, 
having  seen  all  he  cared  to  see  of  Liverpool,  though 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       9! 

to  one  who  had  not  all  Europe  before  him,  there 
was  enough  of  sight-seeing  to  keep  him  busy  for  a 
week. 

"You  have  an  idea  of  the  place.  Paul  —  that's  all," 
said  Dr.  Winstock,  as  they  walked  down  the  bridge 
to  the  Stage.  "  It  is  a  very  enterprising  and  liberal 
city,  abounding  in  charitable  and  reformatory  institu 
tions.  On  the  whole,  it  is  the  liveliest  city  in  the 
United  Kingdom. 

"  That's  because  it  is  so  much  in  contact  with,  the 
United  States,"  laughed  Paul,  as  he  took  from  his 
pocket  the  "Mercury"  which  he  had  bought  in  the 
street.  "  What"  queer  expressions  they  use  here ! 
'  Left-off  clothing,'  instead  of  old  clothes,  or  second 
hand  clothes." 

"  Our  expressions  are  as  odd  to  them  as  theirs  are 
to  us,"  replied  the  doctor. 

"  To  be  sold  '  by  private  treaty,' "  added  Paul, 
glancing  at  the  advertisements,  "  instead  of  private 
sale.  '  Wanted,  —  a  lady  to  teach  good  music.'  Of 
course  they  wouldn't  want  her  to  teach  bad  music  ; 
'  a  shopkeeper,  doing  a  ready-money  trade,'  instead 
of  a  cash  business.  '  To  publicans '  —  those  are 
men  that  keep  ale-vaults.  '  Wanted,  —  a  servant  of 
all  work;  wages  £10'  —  less  than  a  dollar  a  week. 
'A  certificated  school-teacher,  aged  31,  declining 
school  keeping,  wants  a  situation  as  clerk.'  '  Want 
ed  —  a  situation  to  look  after  a  horse  and  carriage.' 
Hope  he'll  find  them  when  he  has  found  the  situa 
tion." 

"  Paul,  there  are  a  couple  of  your  hopefuls  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Stage,"  said  the  doctor.  "  I  was 


92        ,  RED    CROSS,    OR 

\ 

afraid  they  would  give  you  trouble,  but  they  are  on 
time." 

The  young  commander  looked,  and  saw  Lynch  and 
Grossbeck ;  but  he  did  not  know  that  they  had  just 
made  a  bargain  with  a  boatman  to  go  off  to  the  Jose 
phine  at  three  o'clock  on  Monday  morning.  Within 
a  few  minutes  of  the  appointed  time,  the  boats  of 
both  vessels  left  the  Stage.  . 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.         93 


CHAPTER   VI. 

BLUE    LIGHTS    ON    THE   MERSEY. 

SO  far  as  Captain  Kendall  could  judge  after  his 
ship's  company  were  all  on  board,  not  one  of 
them  had  abused  his  liberty.  All  of  them  had  been 
at  the  Landing  Stage  within  a  few  moments  of  the 
appointed  time  ;  and  though  there  was  no  "  smelling 
committee "  appointed  to  investigate  the  matter,  the 
fumes  of  beer  or  other  interdicted  beverages  were  not 
noticed  even  in  the  presence  of  those  who  were  known 
to  have  no  conscientious  scruples  in  regard  to  the  use 
of  intoxicating  drinks.  The  experiment  appeared  to 
be  entirely  satisfactory.  Paul  and  the  doctor  had  seen 
some  of  the  crew  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  but 
they  were  conducting  themselves  with  perfect  pro 
priety. 

Dr.  Winstock  and  Mr.  Mapps  accepted  an  invita 
tion  to  tea  on  board  the  Josephine,  and  were  afterwards 
sent  on  board  of  the  ship  in  the  captain's  gig.  The 
anchor  watch  was  kept  during  the  night,  and  the  next 
day,  being  Sunday,  all  hands,  when  the  signal  appeared 
on  the  ship,  attended  divine  service  on  board  of  her. 

On  Monday  morning,  Lynch  and  Grossbeck  had  the 
anchor  watch  according  to  their  calculations ;  but  the 
first  master  was  officer  of  the  deck,  instead  of  the  third 


94  RED   CROSS,    OR 

lieutenant,  the  turns  of  the  officers  not  corresponding 
with  those  of  the  crew.  The  conspirators  were  sorry 
for  this  change,  as  they  knew  the  habits  of  Mr.  Rob 
inson,  and  had  yet  to  learn  those  of  Mr.  Groom.  If 
he  should  be  disposed  to  visit  the  forecastle  often,  or 
not  care  to  take  his  lunch,  it  would  be  difficult,  if  not 
impossible,  to  get  McLeish  out  of  the  vessel. 

Grossbeck  had  deposited  the  carpenter's  screw-driver 
in  a  place  where  it  would  be  available  for  use,  and 
before  his  watch  was  called,  had  released  the  prisoner 
and  restored  the  lock  to  the  door.  Everything  there 
fore  was  in  a  forward  state  of  preparation  for  the 
carrying  out  of  their  plan.  McLeish  was  in  Lynch's 
berth  when  the  watch  was  called. 

"•  Do  you  suppose  your  boatman  will  come?  "  asked 
Grossbeck,  when  they  had  seated  themselves  on  the 
heel  of  the  bowsprit. 

"  Of  course  he  will.  It  isn't  every  night  that  he 
gets  a  chance  to  make  a  sovereign,  which  is  about  the 
wages  of  a  whole  week  to  one  of  those  fellows.  He 
will  be  here,  you  may  depend  upon  it,"  replied  Lynch, 
confidently. 

"  I  wish  we  were  well  out  of  the  scrape.  I'm 
afraid  we  shall  be  caught." 

"  I  know  there  is  danger,  but  I  think  it  is  safer  for 
us  to  get  him  out  of  the  vessel  than  to  let  him  stay." 

"  Suppose  we  should  be  caught?  " 

"  Then  we  must  make  the  best  of  it,  and  go  bac 
to  the  ship  when  we  are  sent,"  replied  Lynch. 

"  I  don't  like  that  idea.  Saturday  afternoon  we 
went  ashore  without  any  one  to  watch  us.  All  the 
fellows  in  the  ship,  except  the  officers,  have  a  professor 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        95 

to  take  care  of  them.  I  don't  want  to  leave  the 
Josephine." 

"  Nor  I ;  but  we  must  take  our  chance  now,"  added 
Lynch.  "  If  I  had  known  as  much  as  I  know  now,  I 
wouldn't  have  had  anything  to  do  with  McLeish.  If 
we  don't  get  him  off  he  will  ruin  us.  We  must  run 
for  luck  now." 

The  first  master  paced  the  quarter-deck,  walked  for 
ward  to  the  waist  occasionally,  and  finally  went  below, 
probably  to  take  his  lunch.  The  signal  was  given  for 
McLeish  to  come  on  deck,  and  he  immediately  made 
his  appearance.  Before  Groom  returned,  he  had  been 
stowed  away  in  the  head,  ready  to  embark  in  the 
boat  as  soon  as  it  came  alongside.  The  night  was 
dark  enough  to  favor  the  enterprise,  and  the  officer 
of  the  deck,  though  vigilant  enough  for  all  practical 
purposes,  did  not  appear  to  trouble  himself  with  affairs 
forward  of  the  foremast.  At  five  bells  he  made  his 
round  through  the  steerage. 

It  is  sometimes  the  case  that  those  who  make  the 
least  fuss  and  parade  about  doing  their  duty,  perform 
it  the  most  thoroughly  ;  and  those  who  appear  to  have 
the  least  knowledge  of  what  is  "  going  on,"  have  the 
most.  Groom  was  a  very  quiet  and  unpretending 
officer,  but  he  understood  his  duty  thoroughly,  and 
performed  it  faithfully.  Instead  of  walking  round 
the  steerage,  in  the  semi-darkness  of  the  place,  as 
most  of  the  officers  did,  he  took  the  lantern  from  the 
hook  near  the  fore-hatch,  and  glanced  into  every  berth 
to  assure  himself  that  its  occupant  was  there. 

When  he  came  to  the  brig,  he  held  the  lantern  up 
to  the  grated  door,  and  looked  in.  He  did  not  see  the 


96  RED    CROSS,    OR 

prisoner,  for  the  simple  reason  that  he  was  not  there. 
He  placed  himself  in  such  a  position  that  he  could 
observe  the  berth-sack  on  the  floor,  where  McLeish 
ought  to  have  been  asleep  ;  but  he  was  not  on  his  bed. 
Groom  was  astonished  rather  than  alarmed,  and  he 
went  to  the  captain's  state-room,  where  the  key  was 
always  kept,  to  obtain  it." 

"What's  the  matter,  Mr.  Groom?"  asked  Paul,  as 
the  master  entered  his  room. 

"  I  don't  know  that  anything  is  the  matter,"  replied 
the  officer  of  the  watch,  "  but  I  would  like  the  key  of 
the  brig.  I  have  looked  in  through  the  door,  and  I 
don't  see  anything  of  McLeish." 

"  Has  he  got  out?"  asked  the  captain,  starting  up 
in  his  bed. 

"  I  don't  know  that  he  has :  I  want  to  ascertain." 

Paul  gave  him  the  key,  and  anxiously  awaited  his 
report.  Groom  returned  to  the  brig,  unlocked  it,  and 
went  in.'  The  prison  was  certainly  empty ;  but  he 
had  found  the  door  locked,  and  no  opening  by  which 
he  could  have  escaped  was  visible.  He  returned  to 
the  captain's  state-room,  and  informed  Paul  of  the 
result  of  his  investigation. 

"Escaped  —  has  he?"  demanded  Paul,  filled  with 
anxiety  at  this  unfortunate  circumstance. 

"  He  certainly  is  not  in  the  brig,"  replied  Groom. 
"  Whether  he  has  left  the  schooner  or  not,  I  don't 
know." 

"  He  was  safe  at  eight  o'clock,  when  the  steward 
put  his  berth-sack  in  the  brig,"  added  the  perplexed 
captain.  "  How  did  he  get  out?  " 

''  That   is   more   than  I  can   tell.     The  door  was 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        97 

locked  all  right,  and  there  is  no  hole  or  opening  by 
which  he  could  have  crawled  out,"  answered  Groom. 

"  And  the  key  has  not  been  out  of  my  room  since 
the  steward  returned  it  to  me.  Call  Marty n,  Robin 
son,  and  Humphreys." 

The  three  officers  who  had  been  in  charge  of  the 
deck  since  eight  o'clock  were  called  to  the  captain's 
state-room,  and  questioned.  They  knew  nothing  of 
the  prisoner,  and  each  of  them  was  sure  that  no  boat 
had  left  the  schooner  during  his  watch. 

"  Who  are  in  the  watch  now  ?  "  asked  Paul. 

"  Lynch  and  Grossbeck,"  replied  the  first  master. 

"  If  McLeish  has  left  the  vessel,  we  can  do  nothing 
till  morning.  Keep  a  sharp  lookout,  Mr.  Groom,  and 
if  anything  occurs,  call  me,"  said  Paul,  as  he  dismissed 
all  the  officers. 

But  the  captain  did  not  go  to  sleep  again  that  night. 
He  was  anxious  and  disturbed.  He  did  not  believe 
that  McLeish  had  left  the  Josephine,  and  he  did  not 
wish  to  muster  all  hands  at  that  hour  ;  but  he  intended, 
in  the  morning,  to  make  a  thorough  search  in  every 
part  of  the  vessel,  for  he  had  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  prisoner  was  secreted  in  some  convenient 
place,  where  he  could  leave  during  the  day.  The 
officer  of  the  watch  returned  to  the  deck.  He  had 
been  absent  about  twenty  minutes,  and  the  time  for 
the  appearance  of  the  boat  was  near  at  hand. 

Groom  paced  the  deck  athwartships.  He  heard 
the  dip  of  a  pair  of  sculls  ahead.  He  appeared  to 
take  no  notice  of  the  circumstance,  but  in  his  own 
mind  he  connected  it  with  the  escape  of  McLeish. 
As  soon  as  he  had  satisfied  himself  that  the  boat 


98  RED    CROSS,    OR 

was  approaching  the  schooner,  he  went  below  and 
informed  the  captain. 

"A  boat  appears  to  be  coming  to  the  schooner, 
but  I  don't  know  that  it  is,"  he  added  to  his  report,  in 
explanation. 

"  Return  to  the  deck,  Mr.  Groom  :  let  things  take 
their  course  ;  and  remember  that  it  is  quite  as  impor 
tant  to  ascertain  who  helped  McLeish,  as  it  is  to  pre 
vent  the  prisoner's  escape." 

When  Groom  had  gone  on  deck,  Paul  called  the 
first  lieutenant,  who  was  directed  quietly  to  wake  the 
crew  of  the  first  cutter,  and  have  them  ready  for 
immediate  service,  all  of  which  was  done  before  six 
bells  struck.  The  officer  of  the  deck,  without  seem 
ing  to  notice  anything,  kept  his  eyes  and  his  ears 
wide  open. 

By  this  time,  Lynch  and  Grossbeck  were  congratu 
lating  themselves  upon  the  success  of  their  enterprise. 
The  officer  of  the  watch  was  very  accommodating  m 
spending  so  much  of  his  time  below,  for  on  the  top 
gallant  forecastle  they  obtained  no  hint  of  what  was 
taking  place  in  the  cabin  and  steerage.  They  saw  the 
boat,  which  had  pulled  to  a  position  ahead  of  the 
Josephine,  and  was  now  drifting  with  the  tide  to 
wards  her. 

li  Now,  McLeish,  you  are  all  right,"  said  Lynch,  as 
he  discovered  the  boat  in  the  gloom  of  the  night. 

"  Ay,  that  I  am,"  replied  the  culprit,  jubilantly. 
"  If  ye  hear  any  one  inquiring  for  me  in  the  morning, 
give  then?  my  regards,  and  say  I'll  see  them  in  the 
»jtumn." 

'•  Don't  make  a  fool  of  yourself,  when  you  get  into 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        99 

the  boat.  Lie  down  in  the  bottom,  and  keep  still," 
added  Grossbeck. 

'"  I'll  just  shout  for  joy,  when  I'm  clear  of  the 
vessel." 

"  If  you  do,  you  will  certainly  be  brought  back," 
said  Lynch. 

"  No  fear  of  that  if  I  once  get  into  the  boat." 

"  Hush  !  here  comes  the  officer,"  whispered  Gross- 
beck,  as  Groom  walked  forward. 

"  What  boat  is  that?  "  asked  the  officer,  halting  on 
the  forecastle. 

"  I  don't  know,  sir,"  replied  Grossbeck. 

"  Boat  ahoy  !  "  shouted  Lynch,  who  had  instructed 
the  boajtman  what  to  say  when  he  hailed  him,  as  he 
intended  to  do  if  his  approach  was  observed  by  the 
officer  of  the  watch. 

"  On  board  the  schooner,"  replied  the  boatman. 

"  What  do  you  want?  "  demanded  Lynch. 

"  Did  you  happen  to  see  a  boat  adrift  any  time 
within  the  night?"  asked  the  man. 

"  We  have  not." 

"  Our  long-boat  broke  adrift,  and  I'm  looking  for 
her.  I  didn't  know  but  you  might  have  picked  her  up." 

"  We  haven't  seen  her,"  answered  Lynch. 

All  this  seemed  so  natural,  that  Groom,  though 
on  the  lookout  for  something  wrong,  did  not  suspect 
anything.  The  boatman  had  run  under  the  bowsprit 
of  the  Josephine,  and  was  holding  on  at  the  bobstay. 
He  then  explained  that  he  belonged  to  a  ship  lying 
above,  and  was  keeping  anchor  watch.  He  had 
missed  the  boat,  and  was  looking  it  up.  Groom  was 
satisfied,  and  walked  aft  again. 


1OO  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Now  drop  down  into  the  boat,  McLeish,  and  keep 
still,"  whispered  Lynch. 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  interposed  the  boatman.  "  If 
you  happen  to  have  the  sovereign  about  you,  I'll  take 
that  first." 

McLeish  had  transferred  the  balance  of  his  funds 
from  his  stockings  to  his  pocket.  He  produced  the 
money,  and  handed  it  to  the  cautious  boatman. 

"  Don't  make  a  noise,"  said  Lynch,  and  the  culprit 
'clumsily  descended  to  the  boat. 

"  It's  little  I  care  for  the  noise  now,"  replied 
McLeish. 

"  But  you  will,  get  us  into  a  scrape,"  protested 
Grossbeck,  in  an  energetic  whisper. 

"  If  I  do,  I  just  paid  you  for  it ;  and  it  was  mean 
of  you  to  take  a  sovereign  for  halping  a  fallow  in  dis- 
trass." 

"  Lie  down,  McLeish  !  "  called  Lynch,  as  loud  as 
he  dared  to  speak. 

"  I'll  no  lie  down,"  replied  the  mulish  deserter. 
"  Push  .oft",  boatman  ;  I'm  out  of  their  clutches  now  : 
but  I'd  like  to  get  my  hand  on  the  windpipe  of  that 
Terrill." 

The  boatman  pushed  off,  and,  taking  his  cue  from 
his  passenger,  used  no  further  precautions  to  conceal 
his  movements.  Before  he  could  bring  his  oars  to 
bear,  the  tide  had  set  his  boat  away  from  the  bow  of 
the  schooner,  and  it  was  drifting  alongside  of  her. 
Groom  heard  the  voices  in  her,  and  rushed  to  the 
railing.  He  saw  that  it  contained  two  persons  now. 

"•  Boat  ahoy  !  "  he  shouted. 

"  Shut  your  mouth,  you   sixpenny  nob  !  "    replied 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       IOI 

McLeish,  in  tones  so  loud  that  Lynch  and  Grossbeck 
were  appalled  and  terrified  at  the  exposure. 

Groom  did  not  wait  to  hear  any  more,  but  rushing 
to  the  companion-way,  he  called  for  help. 

"  All  the  first  cutter's  crew  on  deck  !  "  said  Terrill, 
hastening  to  the  steerage,  where  those  who  had  been 
called  were  in  readiness  for  the  summons. 

In  an  instant  they  tumbled  up  the  hatch,  and  grasped 
the  fall-ropes  of  their  boat.  Terrill  appeared  at  the 
same  time.  It  was  now  the  turn  of  the  conspirators 
on  the  forecastle  to  be  astonished. 

"Where's  the  boat,  Mr.  Groom?"  demanded  the 
first  lieutenant. 

"  She  went  off  towards  Birkenhead,"  replied  the 
officer  of  the  watch. 

"  First  cutter  ready,  sir  !  "  reported  the  coxswain  of 
the  boat  to  the  first  lieutenant. 

Terrill  leaped  into  the  stern-sheets  of  the  cutter ; 
the  orders  to  shove  off  and  let  fall  were  rapidly  given  ; 
the  crew  bent  to  their  oars,  and  the  boat  disappeared 
in  the  gloom  from  the  view  of  those  on  deck. 

Captain  -Kendnll  came  on  deck  before  the  departure 
of  the  first  cutter,  and  immediately  ordered  Martyn  to 
call  all  hands.  In  a  brief  period,  every  officer  and 
seaman  was  on  deck. 

"  Clear  away  the  gig !  "  shouted  the  second  lieu 
tenant,  by  the  captain's  order. 

Pelham  was  sent  away  in  this  boat,  with  directions 
to  pull  towards  Birkenhead. 

"  Clear  away  the  second  and  third  cutters ! "  con 
tinued  the  captain.  "  Mr.  Robinson,  detail  a  crew 
for  each  boat." 


102  RED    CROSS,    OR 

It  was  not  likely,  after  all  these  preparations  for  a 
pursuit,  that  McLeish  would  succeed  in  reaching  the 
shore. 

"  It's  all  up  with  us !  "  said  Lynch,  in  desponding 
tones,  when  Groom  hailed  his  brother  officers  in  the 
cabin. 

"  Perhaps  not :  they  won't  know  we  helped  him 
oft0,"  replied  Grossbeck. 

"  They  can't  help  knowing  it.  Didn't  McLeish  get 
into  the  boat  under  our  very  noses?  There  are  the 
first  cutters.  They  must  have  been  all  ready.  There's 
the  captain  !  He  hasn't  had  time  to  turn  out  since  the 
alarm  was  given.  I  tell  you  some  one  has  snuffed 
this  business  ;  and  let  us  fall  into  the  trap,"  added 
Lynch,  desperately.  "What  shaU  we  do?" 

u  What  can  we  do?  Of  course  we  shall  be  reported 
to  Lowington,  and  sent  on  board  the  ship.'' 

"  O,  it's  all  up  with  us  !  "  sighed  Lynch.  "  Brig  for 
a  week  or  two,  and  all  our  privileges  stopped  !  It 
makes  me  mad  to  think  of  it.  McLeish  is  the  biggest 
blockhead  I  ever  heard  of.  It  would  have  been  all 
right  if  he  had  not  been  such  an  amazingly  stupid  fool ! " 

The  chapfallen  conspirators  observed  the  prep:; ra 
tions  that  were  made  for  the  capture  of  McLeish. 
The  boatman  could  not  have  gone  fifty  yards  before 
the  first  cutter  was  off;  and  if  Terrill  did  not  miss  the 
boat  in  the  darkness,  the  culprit  was  sure  to  be  taken. 
The  gig  was  the  second  sent  off,  and  the  second  and 
third  cutters  lowered,  and  hauled  up  to  the  accommo 
dation  ladder,  ready  for  use  if  needed. 

"  Can  I  do  anything,  sir?"  asked  Cleats,  the  boat 
swain,  as  he  touched  his  cap  to  the  captain. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        103 

"  Nothing  at  present,"  replied  Paul ;  "  I  only  fear 
the  gig  and  cutter  will  miss  the  boat,  it  is  so  dark." 

"  We  can  give  them  plenty  of  light,  sir.  We  have 
some  blue  lights  below,"  added  Cleats. 

"  Bring  them  up  and  fire  them  at  once,"  said  Paul, 
delighted  with  the  idea. 

The  boatswain  brought  up  his  blue  fire,  and  placing 
the  roll  on  a  plank  upon  the  rail,  lighted  it.  The  ves 
sel  and  the  river  for  a  circuit  of  half  a  mile  around  her 
were  brilliantly  illuminated.  It  was  three  o'clock  on 
the  morning  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  on  board  of 
an  American  vessel,  manned  by  boys,  the  demonstra 
tion  was  not  inappropriate. 

The  bright  light  revealed  the  position  of  all  the 
boats,  but  the  gig  and  cutter  had  both  been  steering 
wide  of  the  chase  until  the  blue  fire  disclosed  it  to 
them.  The  first  cutter  was  the  nearest,  and  a  few 
strokes  of  the  well-trained  oarsmen  brought  her  along 
side  the  boatman's  craft. 

"  Pull,  man  !  Why  don't  you  pull  ?  "  cried  McLeish, 
when  he  saw  the  night  turned  into  day,  and  the  Jose 
phine's  cutter  rapidly  overhauling  him. 

"  It's  no  use  to  pull,"  replied  the  boatman.  "  That 
boat  can  go  two  yards  to  my  one." 

"  Then  give  me  back  my  sovereign,"  retorted 
McLeish,  angrily. 

"  When  I  do,  tell  your  grandmother  of  it,"  an 
swered  the  boatman  in  surly  tones.  u  You  are  an 
idiot!  If  you  had  kept  your  mouth  shut,  as  the  lads 
told  you,  we  had  gone  off  clean." 

li  Pull,  man  !  The  boat  is  almost  upon  us ! "  ex 
claimed  McLeish. 


104  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I'm  not  going  to  break  my  back  for  an  idiot,"  re 
plied  the  man,  who  had  the  sovereign  in  his  pocket, 
and  did  not  care  a  straw  what  became  of  his  pas 
senger. 

"  I'll  no  be  taken  back,"  said  McLeish,  desperately, 
as  he  seized  the  boat-hook. 

"  Don't  break  that  boat-hook,"  added  the  boatman, 
as  the  first  cutter  ranged  up  on  the  bow  of  his  craft. 

"  Stand  by  me,  man,"  pleaded  the  runaway,  ap 
palled  by  his  situation.  u  Put  me  on  the  shore,  and 
I'll  give  you  another  sovereign." 

"  I  don't  think  I  can,"  said  the  boatman,  whose 
cupidity  was  excited  by  this  liberal  offer. 

"  McLeish,  I'll  trouble  you  to  step  into  this  boat," 
said  Terrill. 

"  I'll  not  do  it,"  replied  the  rebel,  flatly,  as  he  bran 
dished  the  boat-hook  over  his  head,  and  made  sundry 
insane  flourishes.  "  If  you  want  me,  come  and  take 
me." 

"  That  I  shall  do,"  added  Terrill,  spunkily.  "  Pass 
the  boat-hook  aft,"  said  he  to  the  crew  of  the  cutter. 

At  this  moment  Pelham  in  the  gig  dashed  up  to  the 
battle-ground,  and,  unwilling  to  be  behind  the  first 
lieutenant,  he  leaped  forward  to  the  bow  of  his  boat, 
and  then  into  that  in  which  McLeish  was  just  closing 
with  Terrill.  Seizing  the  culprit  by  the  collar,  he 
forced  him  down  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  The 
rebel  was  effectually  suppressed.  The  two  officers 
tumbled  him  into  the  cutter,  and  both  boats  pulled  for 
the  schooner. 

The  blue  fire  had  been  kept  burning  till  the  gig  and 
cutter  returned  to  the  Josephine.  The  recaptured 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       105 

prisoner,  sullen  and  angry,  was  ordered  on  deck.  He 
was  too  mad  to  obey  the  order,  and  a  couple  of 
officers  dragged  him  on  board.  He  was  taken  down 
to  the  brig  again,  and  the  door  locked  upon  him  once 
more. 

"  You  may  just  put  me  in  there  if  you  please,  but 
I'll  no  stay  there,"  growled  the  prisoner,  as  the  brig 
was  opened  for  his  reception. 

"  How  did  you  get  out?"  asked  Captain  Kendall, 
probably  not  with  the  expectation  that  the  question 
would  be  answered. 

"  It's  just  none  of  your  business  how  I  got  out ;  but 
I'll  be  out  again,"  replied  McLeish. 

"  Lock  him  up,"  added  Paul,  who  had  decided  not 
to  investigate  the  matter  till  morning. 

"  I'll  just  burn  your  old  hulk  !  I'll  show  you  what 
it  is  to  insult  a  MacGregor." 

"  Stop  a  moment,"  interposed  Captain  Kendall ; 
"  search  his  pockets." 

u  I'll  kill  the  first  one  of  you  that  comes  near," 
said  McLeish,  retreating  to  the' farthest  corner  of  his 
cell,  and  thrusting  his  hand  into  his  pocket  for  his  knife. 

Pelham,  always  prompt  and  decided  in  his  action, 
rushed  upon  the  culprit,  who  had  taken  the  knife  from 
his  pocket,  before  he  had«time  to  open  it.  He  wrested 
the  weapon  from  him,  and  threw  him  down  upon  the 
berth-sack,  where  he  held  him  until  the  first  lieutenant 
had  "  fished  all  his  pockets."  There  were  no  matches 
taken  from  him,  but  two  sovereigns  and  two  half  sov 
ereigns  were  found  upon  him.  The  knife  and  the 
money  were  taken,  and  everything  else  returned  to 
him. 


IO6  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  You're  a  set  of  robbers ! "  exclaimed  McLeish, 
when  the  officers  let  him  up.  "  If  I  ever  get  ashore 
within  the  United  Kingdom,  I'll  have  you  arrested  for 
stealing  my  money." 

"  Lock  him  up,"  said  the  captain. 

"  You  can  just  lock  me  up,  but  I'll  get  out  in  spite 
of  you,"  howled  the  prisoner,  crying  like  a  baby,  in 
the  madness  of  his  passion. 

"  Where  is  Mr.  Gage?  "  asked  Paul. 

"  Here,  sir,"  replied  the  carpenter. 

"  Can  you  tell  in  what  manner  the  door  of  the  brig 
was  opened?" 

Gage  examined  the  lock. 

"  I  think  these  screws  must  have  been  removed,  and 
the  lock  taken  off,"  he  replied.  "  It  could  not  have 
been  done  by  the  fellow  in  the  brig.  He  had  some 
help  on  the  outside." 

"  Verv  well ;  we  will  inquire  into  that  in  the  morn 
ing.  Can  you  make  the  door  any  more  secure  ?  " 

"  I  can  put  on  a  heavy  hasp  and  staple,  and  lock  it 
with  a  padlock,  such  as  we  use  for  the  bread-room  in 
the  hold.  I  have  a  spare  one." 

"Can  you  put  it  on  without  screws?"  asked  the 
captain. 

"Yes  —  drive  the  staples  in,  and  clinch  them  on  the 
other  side." 

"  You  will  do  it  at  once,  if  you  please,"  added  Paul. 

"  I  shall  have  to  open  the  door." 

"  I'll  take  care  of  the  prisoner,"  volunteered  Cleats. 

The  carpenter  went  for  the  hasp  and  staples,  and  the 
job  was  commenced  at  once.  As  the  captain  turned 
to  go  on  deck,  the  fourth  master  rushed  down  below, 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        IOj 

and  informed  him  that  the  third  cutter  was  missing. 
Paul  was  congratulating  himself  upon  the  success  of 
the  measures  he  had  taken  to  capture  the  runaway, 
when  this  new  misfortune  was  reported  to  him. 

"  What  does  this  mean?  "  he  asked  of  Terrill,  when 
he  reached  the  deck. 

"  More  runaways,  I  am  afraid,"  replied  the  first 
lieutenant. 

"  Pipe  to  muster,"  added  the  captain,  sick  at  heart, 
as  he  thought  of  the  danger  which  menaced  the  ex 
periment  with  which  he  had  been  intrusted. 

"All  hands  on  deck,  ahoy  !  "  shouted  the  boatswain, 
after  he  had  wound  the  shrill  call. 

"  Mr.  Ritchie,  you  will  call  the  roll,"  said  Paul,  dis 
consolately.  . 

The  names  of  the  officers  were  called,  and  then  of 
the  crew. 

"  Grossbeck !  " 

No  answer. 

"  Grossbeck !  " 

Still  no  answer. 

"  I  can  tell  who  the  other  is,"  said  Groom,  the  officer 
of  the  deck.  "  It  is  Lynch." 

So  it  proved  when  the  name  was  called.  The  two 
absentees  had  composed  the  anchor-watch  at  the  time 
the  boatman  had  come  under  the  bows  of  the  schooner, 
and  it  was  plain  that  by  their  connivance  McLeish  had 
been  assisted  out  of  the  brig,  and  then  into  the  boat. 


RED    CROSS,    OR 


CHAPTER   VII. 

OFF   THE    CALF   OF   MAN. 

IT  was  evident  that  Lynch  and  Grossbeck  had  left 
the  schooner,  not  because  they  desired  to  get  away, 
but  in  order  to  avoid  the  consequences  of  their  miscon 
duct  in  releasing  the  prisoner,  and  helping  him  to 
escape  from  the  vessel.  It  was  shown  by  the  testi 
mony  of  others  that  they  were  not  dissatisfied  with 
their  position  on  board,  but,  on  the  contrary,  had 
often  expressed  their  appreciation  of  their  good  for 
tune  in  obtaining  a  berth  on  board  of  the  Josephine. 

Paul  was  in  great  trouble ;  but  he  ordered  all  the 
boats  to  be  lowered  again,  detailed  officers  to  go  in 
them,  and  then  went  down  into  his  state-room.  Re 
membering  what  the  other  runaways  had  done  before 
they  left  the  ship,  he  opened  his  strong  box  to  satisfy 
himself  that  it  had  not  been  robbed.  Not  a  shilling 
had  been  taken  from  it,  and  he  breathed  easier.  Lock 
ing  the  safe,  he  put  the  key  in  his  pocket,  and  returned 
to  the  deck.  It  was  now  about  daylight.  Martyn  was 
se"nt  off  in  the  gig,  and  Pelham  in  the  first  cutter,  to 
search  for  the  runaways. 

The  captain  stepped  into  the  stern-sheets  of  the 
second  cutter,  and  ordered  the  coxswain  to  pull  for 
the  Young  America,  for  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.     109 

report  immediately  the  events  which  had  occurred 
during  the  night.  He  found  no  one  on  deck  but  Mr. 
Bitts,  the  carpenter,  for  the  anchor  watch  in  port  was 
always  kept  by  the  adult  forward  officers. 

"  Captain  Kendall !  "  exclaimed  the  carpenter,  when 
he  saw  who  his  early  visitor  was. 

"  I  wish  to  see  Mr.  Lowington,"  said  Paul. 

"  I  think  he  is  awake,  sir,  for  I  reported  to  him  a 
while  ago  that  you  were  burning  blue  lights  on  board 
the  Josephine." 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"  He  only  laughed,  and  said  you  had  begun  early 
to  celebrate  the  Fourth  of  July." 

"  We  were  not  exactly  celebrating  the  Fourth," 
replied  Paul,  rather  gloomily,  as  he  went  below  and 
entered  the  professors'  cabin. 

He  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  principal's  state 
room,  and  gave  his  name  when  asked  for  it.  Af.er 
waiting  a  few  moments,  Mr.  Lowington  invited  him 
to  come  in. 

"  I  hope  nothing  unpleasant  has  happened,  Captain 
Kendall,"  said  the  principal,  taking  the  hand  of  the 
young  commander. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  something  very  unfortunate  has 
occurred,"  replied  Paul,  very  much  depressed  in 
spirits. 

"  Don't  be  so  sad  about  it,  for  whatever  has  hap 
pened,  I  am  sure  you  have  done  your  duty." 

"  Thank  you  for  that,  sir.  I  have  lost  two  of  my 
crew." 

"  Lost  them  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Lowington,  alarmed 
by  the  equivocal  phrase. 
10 


HO  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I  mean  that  they  have  run  away,  sir." 

The  principal  was  relieved.  He  feared  they  had 
been  drowned. 

;"  Who  were  they?  " 

"•  Lynch  and  Grossbeck." 

"  I  should  hardly  expect  anything  better  from  such 
students.  Did  they  get  any  of  your  money?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  that  is  all  safe,  and  I  have  the  key  of  the 
box  in  my  pocket." 

"  You  were  celebrating  the  Fourth  rather  early  in 
the  morning  —  were  you  not?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  The  carpenter  reported  that  you  were  burning 
blue  lights." 

"  That  was  for  another  purpose.  Lynch  and  Gross- 
beck  took  the  screws  out  of  the  lock  on  the  brig,  and 
let  McLeish  out.  They  must  have  engaged  a  boat  to 
take  him  from  the  schooner  when  they  were  on  shore 
Saturday ;  indeed,  I  saw  Lynch  talking  with  a  boat 
man  on  the  George's  Landing  Stage.  The  officer  of 
the  watch  happened  to  discover  that  he  was  not  in  the 
brig.  The  prisoner  got  off,  but  we  captured  him 
again.  We  burned  the  blue  fire  so  that  the  boats 
could  find  him." 

"  So  you  captured  him  again,"  added  the  principal, 
with  a  smile. 

"  Yes,  sir,  we  did  ;  "  and  Paul  detailed  all  the  cir 
cumstances  of  the  departure  and  recovery  of  McLeish, 
and  the  desertion  of  Lynch  and  Grossbeck. 

"  That  was  very  well  done  indeed,  Captain  Kendall. 
I  thank  you  and  you-r  officers  for  the  skill  and  prompt 
ness  you  have  displayed.  I  am  sorry  you  have  lost 
the  two  seamen,"  said  the  principal. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        Ill 

"  I  feel  very  bad  about  it,  sir ;  and  I  feel  that  I  am 
to  blame  for  it,"  added  Paul. 

"Am  I  to  blame  for  losing  three  of  the  ship's  com 
pany  at  Cork?"  asked  the  principal,  with  a  pleasant 
smile,  which  made  Paul  feel  much  better. 

"  I  was  so  busy  looking  out  for  McLeish,  that  I  did 
not  think  of  those  who  had  assisted  him." 

"  I  do  not  blame  you,  for  you  have  been  faithful, 
and  that  is  enough.  We  all  make  mistakes,  but  if  we 
mean  right,  we  need  not  reproach  ourselves.  What 
have  you  done  ?  " 

"  I  have  sent  two  boats  to  look  for  the  runaways." 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  send  four  more." 

Mr.  Lowington  went  to  the  after-cabin,  and  called 
the  captain  of  the  ship.  In  a  short  time  the  boat 
swain's  call  for  all  hands  rang  through  the  vessel,  and 
the  four  boats  were  sent  off  to  look  for  the  runaways. 
Captain  Kendall  returned  to  the  Josephine,  relieved 
of  some  portion  of  his  anxiety.  Hardly  had  he 
stepped  upon  the  deck  before  the  gig  was  reported 
as  approaching  the  schooner  with  the  missing  cutter 
in  tow. 

"  Where  did  you  find  the  boat?"  asked  the  captain, 
as  Pelham  came  up  the  side. 

"  I  found  it  going  up  the  river  with  the  tide.  But 
I  saw  nothing  of  Lynch  and  Grossbeck,"  replied  the 
officer  of  the  boat. 

"Can  they  have  fallen  overboard?"  said  Paul,  with 
emotion. 

"  Certainly  not,"  answered  Pelham,  decidedly. 
"  The  boat  was  dry  inside,  and  the  oars  lay  on 
the  thwarts  in  ship-shape  order." 


112  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  And  you  have  no  idea  what  has  become  of  the 
deserters  ?  " 

"  I  have  an  idea,  but  of  course  I  don't  know  any 
thing  about  it,"  added  Pelham. 

"  What  is  your  idea  ?  " 

"Just  before  I  found  the  boat,  I  saw  an  English 
brig  standing  down  the  river  with  a  fair  wind. 
In  my  opinion  the  deserters  are  on  board  of  that 
vessel." 

"  Did  you  get  the  brig's  name?" 

"  It  was  the  Prince  Alfred.  She  appeared  to  be  in 
ballast." 

Half  an  hour  later,  the  first  cutter  returned,  and 
Martyn  reported  that  he  had  hailed  a  boatman,  near 
the  south-end  Landing  Stage,  who  informed  him  that 
he  had  seen  two  boys  go  on  board  of  a  brig,  and  turn 
their  boat  adrift.  He  had  pulled  for  the  boat  in  order 
to  pick  it  up,  but  it  had  been  secured  by  a  six-oar  cut 
ter  before  he  could  reach  it. 

It  was  plain  enough  that  the  runaways  had  taken 
passage  in  the  brig,  and  Paul  went  in  the  gig  to  the 
Young  America  to  report  the  facts.  The  signal  for 
the  return  of  her  boats  was  immediately  hoisted,  when 
the  information  had  been  communicated.  Nothing 
more  could  be  done,  and  Mr.  Lowington  said  a  great 
many  kind  words  to  comfort  the  young  commander 
of  the  consort.  The  celebration  of  the  day  had  al 
ready  been  commenced  on  board  the  ship,  which  was 
gayly  dressed  with  flags,  and  Paul  went  on  board  the 
Josephine  to  put  her  in  trim  also. 

After  breakfast  all  hands  were  "  piped  to  mischief," 
or,  rather,  to  fun  ;  and  while  the  festivities  of  the  occa- 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       113 

sion  were  still  in  progress,  Paul  was  sent  for  by  Mr. 
Lowington. 

"  Captain  Kendall,"  said  the  principal,  when  thr 
young  commander  had  reported  to  him,  "  the  boat 
has  just  come  off  with  the  mail.  The  steamer  ar 
rived  at  Queenstown  yesterday  afternoon,  and  will 
reach  Liverpool  before  night.  Our  recruits  are  on 
board  of  her,  and  to-morrow  your  professors  will  join 
your,  vessel.  There  is  a  letter-bag  made  up  for  your 
ship's  company.  Mr.  Fluxion  went  ashore  in  the 
boat,  and  upon  inquiring  at  the  custom-house,  found 
that  the  brig  Prince  Alfred  cleared  in  ballast  for  Bel 
fast,  to  load  for  Quebec.  If  you  and  your  crew  are 
willing  to  dispense  with  the  rest  of  the  fun  of  the  day, 
I  propose  that  you  follow  the  brig  to  Belfast,  and  re 
claim  your  runaways." 

Paul's  heart  leaped  with  delight  at  the  prospect  of 
taking  the  Josephine  out  upon  the  blue  water,  and  he 
cordially  agreed  to  the  proposition. 

"In  order  to  keep  your  quarter  watches  full,  —  for 
you  are  short-handed  now,  —  I  shall  draft  seven  more 
seamen  into  your  vessel ;  for  I  find  that  instead  of 
thirty  students,  about  forty  will  arrive  by  the  steamer 
This  will  give  you  a  crew  of  twenty-eight.  Perhaps, 
before  we  leave  Liverpool,  I  shall  increase  your  crew 
to  thirty-six,  your  full  complement." 

The  ship's  crew  were  piped  to  muster,  and  seven 
below  the  rank  of  petty  officers  were  drawn  by  lot, 
and  sent  on  board  the  Josephine.  They  were  happy 
fellows,  for  it  was  fully  understood  in  the  Young 
America  that  the  schooner's  crew  had  extra  privi 
leges.  Paul  returned  to  his  vessel  with  his  crew. 
10* 


114  KED    CR°SS,    OR 

Something  was  said  by  the  principal  about  relieving 
the  schooner  of  McLeish's  presence  ;  but  it  was  finally 
decided  that,  as  Wilton  and  Monroe  still  occupied  the 
brig  of  the  Young  America,  the  reprobate  should  re 
main  where  he  was ;  though  Paul  was  reminded  that 
it  was  his  adult  boatswain's  duty  to  handle  offenders, 
rather  than  his  officers,  even  while  it  was  conceded 
that  the  officers  should  enforce  obedience. 

"  Mr.  Terrill,  you  will  get  the  schooner  under  way 
immediately,"  said  Captain  Kendall,  as  he  stepped  on 
the  deck  of  the  Josephine. 

"  Under  way  !  "  repeated  the  first  lieutenant,  in  ut 
ter  astonishment. 

This  was  an  unofficer-like  reply,  and  Paul,  without 
noticing  it,  went  down  to  his  state-room.  But  Terrill 
felt  the  reproof,  and  immediately  gave  the  orders  to 
hoist  up  the  boats,  and  strip  the  vessel  of  the  gay  flags 
which  adorned  her.  While  he  was  doing  so,  Paul 
opened  the  mail-bag  brought  off  by  his  gig,  and  found 
three  letters  for  himself — two  from  home,  and  one 
from  Belfast.  He  read  the  one  from  his  mother  first, 
and  as  the  family  were  all  well,  he  opened  that  from 
Ireland.  He  felt  "  queer,"  he  knew  not  why,  as  he 
did  so.  The  first  three  pages,  after  acknowledging 
the  pleasure  which  the  writer  had  derived  from  read 
ing  his  letter  from  Greenock,  contained  an  account 
of  an  archery  match  in  the  Botanical  Gardens.  On 
the  fourth  page,  she  informed  him  that  she  should 
start  for  London  with  her  parents  in  the  course  of  a 
week. 

Paul  was  very  fond  of  Grace  Arbuckle ;  and  since 
he  had  made  her  acquaintance  in  Belfast,  he  had 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       115 

thought  a  great  deal  more  about  her  than  he  was 
willing  to  acknowledge  even  to  himself.  She  was 
the  prettiest  and  pleasantest  young  lady  he  had  ever 
seen,  and  he  prized  her  friendship  very  highly.  He 
could  not  tell  exactly  how  it  was,  but  it  afforded  him 
very  great  pleasure  to  write  to  her,  and  a  still  greater 
pleasure  to  receive  a  letter  from  her.  There  was 
nothing  sentimental  in  the  correspondence,  nothing 
"tender;"  it  was  friendship  —  that  was  all  —  as  they 
understood  it. 

He  read  this  letter  twice.  The  Josephine  was  bound 
for  Belfast,  and  was  getting  ready  for  her  departure  at 
that  moment.  His  bosom  bounded  with  emotion  as 
he  thought  of  seeing  Grace  ;  of  standing  in  her  pres 
ence  with  the  two  anchors  on  his  shoulder-straps,  and 
the  five  gold  bands  on  his  sleeves.  What  a  delight  it 
would  be  to  show  her  through  the  vessel !  What  a 
joy  to  stand  upon  the  quarter-deck  at  her  side,  when 
she  knew  that  he  was  the  commander  of  the  beautiful 
craft !  As  he  was  captain,  he  could  give  her  a  com 
plimentary  excursion.  If  she  never  before  believed 
he  was  a  great  man,  she  would  be  convinced  of  the 
fact  now. 

Before  he  had  read  the  third  letter,  which  was  from 
a  former  schoolmate,  his  rhapsody  was  disturbed  by 
the  call  of  the  boatswain  for  all  hands.  Not  a  soul 
on  board  except  himself  knew  that  the  Josephine  was 
going  to  sea,  for,  in  imitation  of  the  principal  of  the 
Academy  Ship,  he  determined  to  keep  his  own  coun 
sel,  at  least  until  the  officers  manifested  some  curiosity. 
The  captain  went  on  deck,  and  found  the  officers  and 
crew  at  their  stations.  The  first  lieutenant  had  given 


Il6  RED    CROSS,    OR 

the  seven  new  seamen  their  places,  and  twenty-eight 
hands  were  now  ready  for  duty. 

The  mainsail  was  hoisted,  the  foresail  set,  the  stops 
on  the  jib  and  flying  jib  removed,  and  the  anchor  hove 
short. 

"  Anchor  apeak,  sir,"  reported  the  second  lieutenant 
to  Terrili. 

"  Wait  a  little  while,  Mr.  Terrili,"  the  captain  inter 
posed  ;  for  the  pilot  which  Mr.  Lowington  had  prom 
ised  to  send  off,  had  not  yet  come  on  board. 

Presently  his  canoe  appeared,  and  he  stepped  on 
board.  He  was  a  burly,  big  man,  over  six  feet  high, 
and  weighing  "  ten  stone,"  as  he  said  himself.  He 
looked  pleasant,  and  glanced  about  him,  apparently 
amused  at  the  juvenile  aspect  of  everything  on 
board. 

"Where's  the  captain?"  asked  he,  with  a  broad 
grin  on  his  face,  as  he  stepped  up  to  Terrili,  who  re 
ceived  him  at  the  gangway. 

"  There  he  is,  sir."  replied  the  first  lieutenant,  point 
ing  to  Paul. 

"  That !  "  exclaimed  the  pilot.  "  But  I  mean  the 
captain  of  the  vessel." 

"  I  am  the  captain,"  said  Paul,  with  becoming 
dignity. 

"You!" 

The  pilot  measured  him  from  head  to  foot  with  his 
eye,  and  then  burst  into  a  violent  fit  of  laughter. 

"  Is  this  the  Josephine?  "  he  asked,  when  he  could 
speak  again. 

"  This  is  the  Josephine,"  answered  Captain  Kendall. 

"  But  this  can't  be  the  vessel  I'm  to  take  to  sea." 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       117 

"  Yes,  it  is,  sir.  Excuse  me,  but  we  are  waiting 
your  movements,"  added  Paul,  with  spirit. 

"  My  eyes  !  "  ejaculated  the  pilot.  "  There  are 
nothing  but  boys  on  board." 

"  The  officers  and  crew  are  at  their  stations,"  added 
Paul.  "  If  you  are  ready  to  unmoor  ship,  please  to 
say  so." 

"  I'm  all  ready,  captain  —  my  eyes  !  Am  I  to  take 
this  schooner  to  sea  with  these  boys?" 

"  Certainly  you  are.  Mr.  Terrill,  you  will  proceed 
to  unmoor  ship,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Man  the  capstan  bars,  ship  and  swifter  them ! 
Heave  round  !  "  shouted  Terrill. 

"  Bless  me  !  he  talks  salt  enough,"  said  the  pilot, 
laughing  till  his  fat  sides  jarred  like  a  barrel  of  jelly. 

"  Anchor  aweigh,  sir,"  reported  the  boatswain  on 
the  forecastle  ;  and  the  word  was  passed  through  the 
line  of  officers  till  it  came  to  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Man  the  jib  and  flying-jib  halyards,"  added 
Terrill. 

"  Anchor's  at  the  bow,  sir,"  called  the  boatswain. 

"  Hoist  away  on  the  jib  halyards  !  Avast  heaving ! 
Pawl  the  capstan  !  Stopper  the  cable  !  Cat  and  fish 
the  anchor  !  "  continued  the  first  lieutenant. 

These  orders  were  obeyed  as  they  were  given,  rap 
idly  and  in  perfect  order. 

"  Hoist  away  on  the  flying-jib  halyards.  Starboard 
the  helm,  quarter-master  !  "  Terrill  proceeded. 

"  The  vessel  is  in  your  charge,  Mr.  Pilot,"  said  the 
captain. 

"  My  eyes  !  "  replied  the  pilot,  taking  a  long  breath. 
"  I  knew  that  America  was  a  fast  country,  but  I  didn't 


Il8  RED    CROSS,    OR 

know  they  sent  their  babies  to  sea  in  command  of 
vessels." 

"  I  think  you  will  find  we  can  handle  her,"  added 
Paul. 

"  I  see  you  can ;  and  I  never  saw  anything  better 
done  in  all  my  life,  not  even  on  board  one  of  Her 
Majesty's  men-of-war.  Port  a  little,  quarter-master ! 
Steady !  " 

"  Will  you  have  more  sail  on  her?"  asked  the  cap 
tain. 

"  Ay ;  give  her  the  fore-topsail  and  fore-topgallant- 
•ail." 

Captain  Kendall  ordered  the  first  lieutenant  to  set 
these  sails. 

"  Aloft,  sail-loosers  !  "  shouted  the  executive  officer ; 
and  those  whose  stations  were  on  the  topsail  and  top 
gallant  yards  sprang  into  the  rigging.  "  Lay  out ! " 
and  they  followed  the  foot-ropes  out.  "  Loose !  " 
"  Let  fall !  "  k'  Man  your  sheets  and  halyards  !  " 
"  Sheet  home  and  hoist  away  !  " 

"  Capital !  "    exclaimed  the  delighted  pilot. 

"  Man  the  fore-braces ! "  continued  the  first  lieu- 
ten'ant,  when  the  sails  were  set,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  trim  them.  "  Let  go  the  weather  braces,  haul  on 
the  lee  braces  !  " 

The  wind  was  about  south-west,  which  gave  it  to 
the  Josephine  about  on  the  beam. 

"  My  eyes !  I  declare  the  lads  are  as  handy  as 
though  they  had  been  rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the 
deep,"  said  the  pilot,  who  had  hardly  ceased  to  laugh 
since  he  came  on  board. 

The  breeze  was  fresh,  and  the  schooner  heeled  over 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       I  19 

and  went  into  it  as  though  she  meant  business.  Offi 
cers  and  crew  were  delighted  with  her  performance, 
and  the  pilot  did  not  cease  to  express  his  wonder  that 
"  a  parcel  of  lads  "  should  be  sent  to  sea  in  charge  of 
such  a  fine  vessel. 

The  approaches  of  the  Mersey  are  full  of  rocks, 
shoals,  and  sand-bars.  The  channels  are  very  intri 
cate,  and  the  navigation  dangerous.  The  schooner 
passed  out  of  Queen's  Channel,  and  the  pilot's  duties 
were  finished  off  the  Bell  Beacon,  twelve  miles  from 
her  berth  in  the  river. 

"  Keep  her  N.  W.  f  N.,  quarter-master,"  said  the 
first  master,  who,  with  his  associates  in  the  sailing 
department,  had  been  consulting  the  chart. 

The  captain,  when  questioned,  had  been  obliged  to 
inform  the  first  master  what  course  to  steer.  He  had 
simply  told  him  to  head  the  vessel  for  the  Calf  of  Man, 
which  is  the  south-western  point  of  the  Isle  of  Man. 
A  lunch  had  been  prepai'ed  for  the  pilot  in  the  cabin, 
and  as  soon  as  the  course  had  been  laid,  he  was  invited 
below  to  partake  of  it.  He  was  treated  with  "  distin 
guished  consideration,"  and  to  the  last  he  continued 
to  express  his  astonishment  that  a  company  of  boys 
should  be  sent  to  sea  in  such  a  fine  vessel,  and  his 
admiration  of  the  ease  and  skill  with  which  she  was 
handled.  As  the  pilot  boat  to  which  he  belonged  ap- 
pea-ed,  the  topsails  of  the  Josephine  were  backed,  and 
she  lay  to  long  enough  for  the  pilot  to  embark. 

"  A  pleasant  voyage  to  you,  Captain  Kendall,"  said 
he,  as  he  stepped  into  his  canoe. 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  the  young  commander. 

"  My  eyes ! "  exclaimed  the  burly  pilot,  in  an  un- 
der-tone.  "  A  boy  captain  and  a  boy  crew  !  v 


I2O  RED    CROSS,    OR 

The  Josephine  filled  away  again  on  her  course. 
The  officers  and  seamen  of  the  port  watch  were  piped 
to  dinner.  Half  an  hour  later  the  starboard  watch 
dined.  The  afternoon  was  spent  in  arranging  the 
watches  and  quarter  watches,  and  in  drilling  the 
crew ;  but  the  wind  held  fair  and  fresh,  and  there 
was  not  much  real  work  to  do.  The  schooner  had 
taken  her  departure  from  Bell  Beacon,  off  the  entrance 
to  the  Queen's  Channel,  at  one  o'clock.  For  several 
hours  she  logged  from  eleven  and  a  half  to  twelve  and 
a  half  knots,  and  at  this  rate  she  would  make  the  Calf 
by  six  o'clock.  There  were  plenty  of  vessels  on  the 
same  tack,  and  the  Josephine  went  by  scores  of  them. 
This  was  the  kind  of  life  which  pleased  the  students 
on  board,  and  all  of  them  were  in  a  state  of  satisfac 
tion  bordering  upon  rapture. 

Paul  planked  the  weather  side  of  the  quarter  deck 
full  of  dignity,  but  also  full  of  rejoicing.  Everything 
was  superlatively  splendid.  Among  the  officers  and 
the  crew,  there  had  .been  many  speculations  as  to  the 
destination  of  the  schooner  ;  but  so  excellent  was  their 
nautical  training,  that  no  one  asked  the  only  person  on 
board  who  knew. 

u  If  this  breeze  holds,  we  shall  make  our  port  in 
the  night,"  said  the  captain  to  Terrill,  who,  as  the 
officer  of  the  deck,  shared  the  weather  side  witli 
him. 

"  I  think  we  shall,"  replied  the  first  lieutenant,  rather 
dryly ;  for  he  had  not  the  least  idea  what  that  port 
might  be. 

"  We  are  bound  for  Belfast,"  added  Paul,  appre 
ciating  the  joke. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.       121 

"  We  have  been  there,"  said  Terrill. 

"  We  are  going  there  again.  I  expect  to  find  out 
deserters  there." 

"  Lynch  and  Grossbeck?" 

"  Yes ; "  and  the  captain  obligingly  explained  the 
circumstances  which  had  caused  the  sudden  departure 
r,f  the  Josephine  from  Liverpool. 

"You  will  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  an  English 
brig  in  ballast,"  added  Paul,  "  and  instruct  your  offi 
cers  to  do  so." 

Captain  Kendall  went  down  into  the  cabin,  and  in 
a  few  moments  every  officer  on  board  knew  where  the 
schooner  was  bound,  and  the  object  of  her  voyage. 
At  four  o'clock  the  port  watch  had  the  deck ;  and,  as 
the  studies  were  suspended  until  the  arrival  of  the  re 
cruits,  Paul  decided  to  keep  full  watch  on  deck  all  the 
time.  At  the  end  of  the  first  dog  watch  —  from  four 
till  six  —  the  starboard  watch  had  the  deck  again  for 
the  second  dog  watch  —  from  six  to  eight. 

At  five  o'clock  land  on  the  starboard  bow  was 
sighted.  It  was  the  Isle  of  Man.  In  an  hour  and 
a  half  more  the  light-house  on  the  Calf  bore  north, 
and  Groom,  the  senior  master  on  duty,  gave  out  the 
course,  N.  £  W.  The  sheets  of  the  fore  and^  mainsail 
were  let  out,  a  pull  given  on  the  weather  braces,  and 
the  bow  of  the  Josephine  headed  according  to  the 
directions. 

"  An  English  brig  in  ballast,  dead  ahead  !  "  reported 
Pelham,  who,  being  oft"  duty,  had  gone  forward  to 
look  out  for  the  vessel  which  the  Josephine  was  ex 
pected  to  overhaul  before  morning. 

The  Josephine  was  making  two  knots  to  her  one, — 
ii 


122  RED    CROSS,    OR 

for,  being  light  ballasted,  the  brig  could  not  carry  sail, 
—  and  in  half  an  hour  came  up  with  her. 

Pelham  was  positive  she  was  the  vessel  he  had  seen 
early  in  the  morning.  Everybody  on  board  was  ex 
cited,  though  Captain  Kendall,  in  deference  to  his 
dignity,  continued  to  look  calm. 

"  Run  up  to  the  windward  of  her,  and  hail  her," 
said  Paul  to  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Brig  ahoy  !  "  shouted  Terrill,  as  the  Josephine  ran 
up  on  her  weather  beam,  and  took  half  the  wind  out 
of  her  sails. 

u  On  board  the  schooner,"  replied  a  hoarse  voice 
from  the  Prince  Alfred,  for  her  name  had  been  read 
on  the  stern. 

"  We  want  two  young  men  you  took  on  board  at 
Liverpool,"  yelled  the  first  lieutenant  through  his 
trumpet. 

"  No  young  men  aboard,"  replied  the  captain  of  the 
Prince  Alfred. 

But  at  this  moment  both  Lynch  and  Grossbeck 
leaped  upon  the  brig's  rail,  and  proved  the  lie. 

"  Down  from  there,  you  young  whelps  !  "  cried  the 
master,  angrily  ;  and  he  was  seen  to  hit  Lynch  with  a 
rope's  end. 

u  Throw  her  up  into  the  wind  !  "  said  Paul,  as  the 
Josephine  was  running  by  the  brig. 

"  Help  !  Help  !  "  shouted  Lynch,  not  five  minutes 
after  the  order  had  been  given  to  put  the  helm 
down. 

The  officers  and  crew  rushed  to  the  lee  side,  and 
discovered  Lynch  in  the  water  clinging  to  a  spar,  and 
Grossbeck  swimming  lustily  towards  him.  The  Prince 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       123 

Alfred  was  backing  her  main-topsail  for  the  purpose 
of  heaving  to. 

"  Down  with  the  helm  !  "  shouted  Captain  Kendall, 
without  waiting  to  give  his  orders  through  the  first 
lieutenant.  "  Man  the  first  cutter !  Pelham,  take 
charge  of  her ! " 

The  first  cutters  sprang  into  their  boat  at  the  davits 
at  Pelham's  order ;  the  falls  were  manned,  and  in  a 
moment  she  was  in  the  water.  The  falls  were  cast 
off",  and  the  boat  was  carried  by  a  wave  to  the  leeward 
of  the  ship. 

"  Oars  !  let  fall !  "  cried  the  coxswain  with  thrilling 
earnestness ;  and  the  cutter,  mounting  the  waves, 
dashed  off  towards  the  deserters,  both  of  whom  were 
now  clinging  to  the  spar. 

There  was  a  scene  of  confusion  on  board  the  brig, 
and  above  the  moaning  of  the  wind  in  her  rigging 
and  the  dash  of  the  sea  could  be  heard  the  savage 
oaths  of  her  captain,  as  he  hurried  the  crew  in  lower 
ing  the  jollv-boat.  They  were  behind  time  ;  the  dis 
cipline  of  the  students  had  done  its  perfect  work,  and 
by  the  time  the  brig's  boat  was  in  the  water,  the  cutter 
had  picked  up  the  half-drowned  deserters.  They  were 
taken  to  the  schooner,  and  when  the  boat  had  been 
hoisted  up,  she  filled  away  on  her  course  again,  amid 
the  yells  and  the  curses  of  the  master  of  the  brig,  who 
was  obliged  to  wait  till  the  spar  from  which  the  runa 
ways  had  been  taken  was  secured. 


124  RED   CROSS,   OR 


CHAPTER   VIII. 
CAPTAIN  KENDALL'S  GUESTS. 

LYNCH  and  Grossbeck  were  sent  below  to  put 
on  dry  clothing.  Both  of  them,  independently 
of  their  dripping  and  draggled  appearance,  looked 
crestfallen  and  sheepish.  It  was  clear  enough  to  the 
officers  of  the  Josephine  that  the  experience  of  the 
runaways  on  board  the  Prince  Alfred  had  been  any 
thing  but  pleasant ;  for  had  it  been  even  tolerable, 
they  would  not  have  voluntarily  exhibited  themselves. 
The  blow  of  the  rope's  end  which  the  captain  had 
given  Lynch,  indicated  the  character  of  the  treatment 
they  had  received,  and  the  further  evidence  that  they 
had  jumped  overboard  in  order  to  escape,  was  con 
clusive,  if  the  rest  was  not. 

As  soon  as  the  runaways  had  made  themselves  com 
fortable  in  dry  clothes,  and  eaten  their  supper,  they 
reported  to  the  first  lieutenant  on  deck,  as  they  had 
been  ordered.  They  were  handed  over  to  the  captain 
for  examination. 

"  I  am*  very  sorry  I  ran  away,  Captain  Kendall," 
Lynch  began  ;  "  but  I  am  ready  to  face  the  music, 
and  take  the  consequences." 

-'  So  am  I,"  added  Grossbeck. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      125 

"  We  had  no  more  idea  of  running  away  than  you 
had,  sir,  till  the  trouble  with  McLeish  began." 

"  Why  did  you  run  away  then?  "  asked  the  captain, 
sternly. 

"  We  were  in  a  scrape,  and  we  thought  that  was 
the  best  way  to  get  out  of  it.  We  were  wrpng,  sir ; 
and  both  of  us  are  sorry  enough  for  what  we  have 
done." 

"  You  helped  McLeish  out  of  the  brig  —  did  you?" 

"  I  did,  sir,"  replied  Lynch.  "  Grossbeck  had  noth 
ing  to  do  with  the  affair  till  I  had  let  him  out." 

"  The  first  time,"  added  Grossbeck  ;  "  for  I  let  him 
out  myself  the  second  time." 

"  Then  you  let  him  out  twice?" 

"Yes,  sir;"  and  Lynch  related  the  facts  that  oc 
curred  on  Friday  night. 

u  What  induced  you  to  let  him  out?  "  asked  Paul. 

"  It  is  rather  natural  for  a  fellow  to  help  another 
when  he  is  in  trouble.  He  gave  me  a  sovereign,  also. 
Here  is  half  of  it ;  I  gave  the  rest  to  Grossbeck," 
answered  Lynch,  delivering  up  his  share  to  the  cap 
tain  ;  and  his  example  was  followed  by  Grossbeck. 

Paul  listened  to  the  rest  of  their  story,  each  reliev 
ing  the  other  as  his  information  was  better,  until  they 
came  to  their  own  departure. 

"  We  didn't  want  to  leave  the  vessel,"  said  Lynch  ; 
"  we  liked  her,  and  we  liked  you  —  " 

u  None  of  that,"  interposed  Paul.  "  No  compli 
ments  ;  I  don't  feel  the  need  of  them  from  you." 

"  I  only  meant  to  say  that  we  were  well  suited  with 
our  position  on  board.  You  trusted  the  fellows  on 
Saturday  as  they  had  never  been  trusted  before, 
n* 


126  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Grossbeck  and  I  had  the  half-sovereign  each,  and  left 
it  on  board  for  fear  we  should  spend  it  for  beer,  or 
something  of  that  sort." 

''Didn't  you  drink  any  beer  on  Saturday?"  asked 
Paul,  curiously. 

"Not.a  drop,  sir!  you  trusted  us  that  time,  and 
it  was  honor  bright  with  me  ;  and  I  know  it  was  with 
Grossbeck,  for  neither  of  us  tasted  a  drop  of  anything, 
or  went  into  any  bad  places.  We  were  pleased  with 
things  on  board,  and  we  didn't  want  to  leave." 

"  But  we  couldn't  help  it,"  said  Grossbeck,  taking 
up  the  narrative,  "  when  McLeish  was  caught.  Wd 
were  exposed  then,  and  expected  to  go  into  the  brig 
with  him  ;  so  we  went  below  and  got  our  money  ; 
and  while  everybody  was  watching  the  boats  on  the 
starboard  side,  we  dropped  into  the  third  cutter  or 
the  port  side,  cast  off  the  painter,  and  let  the  tide  take 
us  up  the  river.  As  soon  as  the  blue  fire  went  out, 
we  pulled  till  we  came  to  that  brig.  She  was  just 
tripping  her  anchor.  We  hailed  her,  and  asked  the 
captain  where  he  was  bound.  He  said  Belfast  and 
Quebec,  and  told  us  he  was  short-handed.  We  took 
a  rope  he  threw  us,  and  climbed  up  into  the  main 
chains.  He  asked  if  we  wanted  to  ship,  and  said  he 
would  give  us  men's  wages.  We  didn't  ship ;  we 
only  told  him  we  would  see  about  it  when  he  got  to 
Belfast.  Then  he  told  us  we  were  runaways  from  the 
Yankee  school-ship,  and  if  we  didn't  ship,  he  would 
hand  us  over  to  her  captain." 

"  I  didn't  like  that,  for  one,"  said  Lynch,  "  and  we 
jumped  over  the  rail,  letting  the  boat  go  adrift ;  for 
we  were  afraid  you  would  see  it  and  discover  us  as 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       I2J 

* 

we  passed  the  Josephine.  Just  as  soon  as  the  captain 
saw  the  boat  adrift,  I  thought  he  had  suddenly  gone 
crazy  ;  and  such  an  awful  blessing  as  he  gave  us !  for 
he  wanted  to  keep  the  boat.  But  his  anchor  was  at 
the  bow,  and  he  was  in  danger  of  drifting  upon  an 
other  vessel  that  fey  astern  of  him  ;  so  he  had  to  fill 
away.  Just  afterwards  we  saw  the  first  cutter  pull* 
by  the  brig,  and  we  kept  shady.  We  went  to  work 
with  the  crew,  who  were  the  worst  set  of  men  I  ever 
saw,  and  helped  them  set  the  top-gallant-sails ;  but 
they  had  to  take  them  in  again,  the  vessel  was  so 
crank  when  she  got  the  breeze. 

"  The  captain  and  the  mate  treated  the  men  like 
hogs,»and  I  never  heard  so  much  swearing  in  my  life 
as  when  we  catted  and  fished  the  anchor.  At  break 
fast  we  could  not  eat  a  mouthful ;  the  salt  junk  smelled 
bad,  and  the  tea  tasted  like  herb  drink,  without  any 
sugar  and  milk." 

"  It  made  me  sick,"  put  in  Grossbeck.  "  Neither 
of  us  ate  anything.  At  dinner  it  was  worse.  We 
tried  to  eat  some  ship-bread,  but  it  was  full  of  mag 
gots." 

"  We  were  disgusted,  and  sorry  enough  that  we  had 
jumped  out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire,"  continued 
Lynch.  u  The  captain  brought  up  the  shipping- 
papers,  and  told  us  to  sign  them.  We  refused  to  do 
so,  for  we  had  no  idea  of  going  to  Quebec  in  that 
style.  He  swore  and  raved  like  a  madman — just  as 
you  heard  him  when  you  picked  us  up.  He  said  we 
might  sign,  or  he  would  give  us  to  the  police  as  de 
serters  from  our  ship  ;  but  we  still  refused  to  do  so. 
He  told  us  we  needn't  think  to  get  awav  when  the  brig 


US  RED    CROSS,    OR 

arrived  at  Belfast,  for  he  would  lock  us  up.  He  made 
us  work  all  day  like  dogs  in  the  hold,  laying  a  plat 
form  on  the  ballast  for  the  cargo.  We  hadn't  eaten 
a  mouthful  all  day,  and  we  didn't  feel  like  working ; 
but  the  brute  of  a  mate  kicked  us  about  as  though  we 
didn't  cost  anything.  We  didn't  sleep  much  last  night, 
but  we  were  put  on  the  first  watch.  I  never  felt  so 
bad  in  my  life." 

"  Nor  I,"  added  Grossbeck.  "  When  we  saw  the 
Josephine",  we  were  ready  to  shout  for  joy.  The  cap 
tain  sent  us  into  the  forecastle,  which  was  in  a  house 
on  deck,  when  you  hailed  the  brig.  We  heard  the 
lie  he  told,  and  we  ran  out  and  jumped  upon  the  rail 
so  you  could  see  us.  Then  he  hit  Lynch,  and  .drove 
us  back  to  the  forecastle.  There  was  a  short  spare 
spar  hanging  over  the  side  between  the  chains..  I  told 
Lynch  what  we  must  do,  and  while  the  captain  was 
watching  you,  I  took  a  hatchet  and  cut  the  slings,  let 
ting  the  spar  fall  into  the  water,  and  we  followed  it. 
The  brig  ran  ahead,  and  we  swam  for  the  spar. 
Lynch  went  over  first,  and  reached  the  spar  before  I 
did.  I  would  rather  have  been  drowned  than  stay  in 
the  brig.  The  first  cutter  picked  us  up,  and  we  were 
glad  enough  to  get  on  board  the  Josephine  again." 

"  Then  you  don't  like  going  to  sea  in  an  English 
brig?"  said  Captain  Kendall,  with  a  smile. 

"  No,  sir  ;  no,  sir,"  replied  both,  shaking  their  heads 
significantly. 

"  What  did  you  expect  to  do  with  yourselves  when 
you  ran  away  ?  " 

"  We  didn't  know." 

"  Suppose  you  had  got  away  from  the  brig  in  Bel- 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       1 29 

first,  —  what  could  you  have  done,  after  your  ten  shil 
lings  were  gone  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  Lynch,  blankly. 

"  I  hope  you  have  found  out  that  the  best  and  safest 
way  for  you  is  to  keep  within  the  line  of  your  duty." 

"  I  think  we  have,  sir,"  replied  the  penitent  Gross- 
beck. 

"  I  have,"  added  Lynch,  decidedly.  "  I  solemnly 
promise  you  that  I  will  behave  like  a  man  from  this 
time."  ' 

"  ]»hope  you  will ;  but  do  you  expect  to  escape  the 
punishment  of  your  offence?  " 

"  No,  sir  ;  I  don't  ask  that,"  said  Lynch.  "  What 
ever  the  punishment  may  be,  it  will  not  be  so  bad  as 
staying  a  single  hour  on  board  of  that  brig,  —  I'm 
sure  of  that." 

"  Of  course  you  expect  to  be  sent  on  board  of  the 
ship,"  added  the  captain. 

"  We  cannot  complain.     It  is  all  our  own  fault." 

u  As  you  are  worn  out  with  hard  work,  you  may 
go  below  and  turn  in,"  replied  Paul,  whose  pity  was 
making  sad  inroads  upon  the  stern  dignity  required 
of  a  commander  on  such  an  occasion. 

The  culprits  touched  their  caps,  and  retired.  They 
had  expected  to  spend  the  night  in  the  brig  with 
McLeish  ;  but  they  concluded  that  their  punishment 
was  only  deferred.  Paul  could  not  find  it  in  his  heait 
to  punish  them  after  what  they  had  suffered,  for  he 
was  satisfied  that  their  frank  confession  was  not  a 
sham.  They  had  voluntarily,  and  at  no  little  risk  and 
pains,  returned  to  the  schooner.  He  had  himself  seen 
a  specimen  of  the  brutality  of  the  captain  of  the  brig 


I3O  RED    CROSS,    OR 

—  enough  to  make  the  story  of  the  runaways  quite  real 
to  him.  The  worst  thing  he  had  any  idea  of  doing 
was  sending  them  back  to  the  ship,  when  the  Jose 
phine  returned  to  Liverpool. 

At  eight  o'clock,  the  port  watch  went  on  duty,  with 
Lieutenant  Martyn  as  officer  of  the  deck.  The  run 
from  the  Calf  of  Man  to  Little  Copeland  Light  was 
about  fifty  miles ;  but  when  the  sun  set,  at  about  eight 
o'clock,  it  was  almost  a  dead  calm.  As  "the  darkness 
gathered,  however,  the  breeze  freshened  a  little  from 
the  westward,  and  the  schooner  logged  from  fo^ur  to 
six  knots  during  the  night.  At  eight  bells,  when  the 
morning  watch  was  called,  the  Josephine,  with  a  pilot 
aboard,  was  off  Belfast  Lough,  with  the  Copeland 
Light  on  her  weather  bow.  When  the  sun  rose  the 
wind  freshened,  and  before  six  she  came  to  anchor  off 
the  custom-house. 

"  I  don't  exactly  see  what  we  have  come  to  Belfast 
for,"  said  Pelham.  "  We  got  the  deserters  last  night." 

"  Don't  you  know?  "  asked  Robinson,  slyly. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't,  unless  it  is  to  finish  up  the  trial 
trip." 

"  I  suppose  that  is  the  reason  why  the  cruise  was 
extended,  but  not  the  reason  why  we  came  to  Belfast. 
Miss  Grace  Arbuckle  lives  here." 

"Exactly  so!"  laughed  Pelham.  "They  say  the 
captain  is  really  sweet  in  that  quarter." 

"  I  should  be  if  I  were  in  his  place.  Grace  is  as 
pretty  a  girl  as  ever  smiled  on  a  sailor,"  added  Henry 
Mnrtyn. 

"  And  Captain  Kendall  is  worthy  of  the  prettiest 
girl  that  ever  smiled  on  any  fellow,"  said  Terrill. 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN   ENGLAND   AND    WALES.     13* 

"  The  captain  is  sixteen  —  isn't  he?  "  continued  Pel- 
ham. 

"  Yes,  in  years ;  but  he  is  twenty-five  in  knowledge 
and  skill,"  replied  Terrill. 

"  That's  so  ;  and  he's  old  enough  to  make  love  to 
Grace  Arbuckle,  if  he  chose  to  do  so." 

"  I  think  that's  all  nonsense !  "  exclaimed  Hum 
phreys,  who  was  the  oldest  student  on  board.  "  Cap 
tain  Kendall  has  no  more  idea  of  being  in  love  with 
that  girl,  or  any  other,  than  I  have." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  added  Pelham. 

"  I  suppose  you  don't,"  laughed  Martyn.  "  When 
you  get  in  captain  of  the  Josephine,  you  will  want  to 
run  her  up  into  Loch  Lomond,  when  you  make  your 
trial  trip." 

Pelham  was  not  above  blushing,  and  he  changed 
the  subject ;  for  he  did  not  care  to  have  Miss  Maggie 
McLaurin  discussed  by  his  companions.  He  had  his 
own  private  opinion  about  her,  and  it  was  not  likely  to 
be  changed  by  any  remarks  that  might  be  made.  We 
must  do  these  young  gentlemen  the  justice  to  say  that 
not  an  improper  word  was  spoken  in  their  conversa 
tion,  and  that  their  thought  and  speech  were  entirely 
respectful.  To  such,  the  company  of  young  ladies  like 
Grace  Arbuckle,  Maggie  McLaurin,  and  others  was 
in  the  highest  degree  elevating  and  ennobling.  Cau 
tious  and  prudent  as  Mr.  Lowington  was  in  the  care 
of  the  boys,  he  encouraged  among  his  pupils  a  respect 
ful  intimacy  with  well-bred  young  ladies  on  all  proper 
occasions.  Probably  he  did  not  expect  any  "  entan 
gling  alliances  "  to  grow  out  of  this  intimacy,  though  if 
such  were  the  case,  the  result  would  not  be  unnatural 


I33  RED    CROSS,    OR 

After  breakfast,  the  ship's  company  were  piped  to 
muster,  and  the  captain  informed  them  that  liberty 
would  be  given  to  all  hands,  except  Lynch  and  Gross- 
beck,  until  two  in  the  afternoon,  for  the  schooner  would 
sail  for  Liverpool  on  the  ebb  tide  at  three.  He  again 
reminded  them  of  what  was  expected  of  young  gentle 
men,  and  enjoined  them  to  be  punctual  in  their  return. 

The  boats  were  hoisted  out,  and  the  officers  and  crew 
landed  at  the  nearest  quay.  Of  course  all  of  them 
hastened  to  visit  the  families  whose  acquaintance  they 
had  made  during  their  former  stay  at  the  port.  Paul 
proceeded  without  delay  to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Ar- 
buckle,  on  the  Antrim  Road.  The  servant  who  came 
to  the  door  told  him  the  family  were  engaged,  and  could 
not  be  seen ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arbuckle  and  Miss  Grace 
were  going  to  Dublin  that  afternoon.  Paul  insisted 
that  his  name  should  be  sent  in  to  Mr.  Arbuckle ;  and 
it  need  hardly  be  said  he  was  cordiallv  welcomed.  Mr. 
Arbuckle  was  surprised  to  see  him,  and  immediately 
sent  for  his  wife  and  daughter. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Kendall !  I'm  delighted  to  see  you  ! " 
exclaimed  Grace,  as,  with  childish  impetuosity,  she 
rushed  into  the  room  and  extended  her  hand  to  the 
young  officer. 

"  I  assure  you  this  is  the  greatest  pleasure  I  have  had 
since  we  parted  last,"  replied  the  gallant  captain  ;  and 
both  of  them  blushed,  for  both  were  true  to  nature. 

"  How  strange  that  you  are  here  !  "  added  Grace. 
"  Is  your  ship  in  the  harbor?" 

"  Not  the  ship  ;  but  the  Josephine  is  at  anchor  off  the 
custom-house." 

"  The  Josephine  !  What  a  love  of  a  boat  she  must 
de,  according  to  your  letter  !  " 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      133 

"  She  is  a  beauty  ;  and  she  logged  twelve  and  a  half 
knots  yesterday  afternoon." 

"  Logged  !  "  repeated  Grace,  puzzled  by  the  word. 

"  Sailed  it,  I  mean.  You  must  certainly  see  her," 
added  Paul. 

"•  I  am  very  sorry,"  interposed  Mr.  Arbuckle,  "  but 
I  fear  we  have  no  time.  We  leave  for  Liverpool  to 
day,  by  the  way  of  Dublin." 

"  For  Liverpool !  "  exclaimed  Paul. 

"  On  our  way  to  London,"  added  the  gentleman. 

"  We  sail  for  Liverpool  this  afternoon,"  continued 
Paul,  musing  and  hesitating ;  for  he  was  not  exactly 
prepared  to  speak  what  was  trembling  for  utterance  on 
his  tongue. 

"  Indeed  !  You  make  a  short  stay  in  Belfast  this 
time,"  said  Mr.  Arbuckle. 

"  We  only  came  out  to  try  the  Josephine." 

"  Why,  Mr.  Kendall,  you  have  two  anchors  on  your 
shoulders  now  !  "  exclaimed  Grace. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Paul,  blushing  again. 

"  And  five  gold  bands  on  your  sleeves  !  I  remember 
their  meaning.  You  are  the  captain  of  the  ship." 

"  Not  of  the  ship.  I  am  the  commander  of  the 
Josephine." 

"  Ah,  Captain  Kendall,"  said  Mr.  Arbuckle,  smiling 
and  bowing,  "  I  congratulate  you  on  your  advance 
ment." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Paul.  "  As  you  are 
going  to  Liverpool,  sir,  might  I " 

Paul  broke  down.  lie  was  too  modest  to  utter  the 
thought  in  his  mind. 

12 


134  RED  CROSS,  OR 

"  What  were  you  going  to  say,  Mr.  Kendall  ?  "  asked 
Grace. 

"  Captain  Kendall,"  said  her  father,  correcting  her. 

"  Captain  Kendall ;  excuse  me,"  laughed  Grace. 

"  I  was  about  to  say  that  you  were  going  to  Liver 
pool  ;  "  and  Paul  came  to  a  dead  halt  again. 

"You  did  say  that,  Mr.  — Captain  Kendall,"  added 
Grace,  seeming  to  enjoy  his  embarassment. 

"  As  you  are  going  to  Liverpool  —  as  the  Josephine 
is  going  to  Liverpool  —  as  we  are  all  going  to  Liver 
pool —  "  stammered  Paul,  "  may  I  not  ask  the  pleas 
ure  of  your  company  on  board  our  vessel,"  he  added, 
desperately ;  and  when  he  had  extended  the  invitation 
he  tremblingly  waited  the  reply. 

"  O  papa  !  "  cried  Grace,  "  that  would  be  elegant ! 
Do  let  us  go  with  Mr.  Kendall — with  Captain  Ken 
dall,  I  mean." 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  kind  invi 
tation,  captain,   and   it  would    afford    me   very  great 
pleasure  to  accept  it ;  but  I  do  not  know  what  Mrs. 
Arbuckle  will  think  of  it.     She  is  not  fond  of  the  sea, 
and  is  inclined  to  be  sick,"  replied  Mr.  Arbuckle. 

"  Do  go,  mamma  !  "  pleaded  Grace. 

"  1  can  give  you  as  good  accommodations  as  you 
will  find  in  the  steamer,  madam,"  added  Paul. 

The  matter  was  considered  for  some  time,  and  fin 
ally,  to  the  great  delight  of  Grace,  and  wholly  to  please 
her,  the  invitation  was  accepted.  Paul  promised  to 
send  the  gig  to  Queen's  Bridge  at  half  past  two.  The 
lady  and  gentleman  then  begged  to  be  excused,  as  they 
were  busy  in  making  the  preparations  for  their  depart 
ure,  and  Grace  was  left  to  entertain  the  visitor.  He 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      135 

declined  an  invitation  to  lunch,  and  remained  only  an 
hour,  during  which  time  he  told  the  history  of  the 
Josephine,  and  related  his  experience,  as  a  traveller,  in 
Liverpool. 

Paul  left  the  house  more  than  delighted,  and  has 
tened  on  board  the  Josephine,  for  he  was  happier  on 
board  of  her  than  in  any  other  place,  that  which  he 
had  just  left  alone  excepted.  He  informed  the  head 
steward  that  two  ladies  and  a  gentleman  would  take 
passage  in  the  schooner  for  Liverpool,  and  directed  him 
to  put  the  professors'  state-room  in  order,  and  to  pro 
cure  such  provisions  from  the  city  as  the  proper  enter 
tainment  of  the  guests  required. 

Again  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Josephine  demon 
strated  that  it  was  safe  to  trust  them,  for  they  not  only 
returned  at  the  time  appointed,  but  also  in  good  condi 
tion.  Not  one  of  them  appeared  to  have  indulged  in 
the  use  of  beer,  or  other  improper  beverages.  The 
first  master  was  immediately  sent  up  to  Queen's  Bridge 
to  bring  off  the  passengers.  Paul  regretted  that  naval 
etiquette  and  the  dignity  of  his  position  did  not  permit 
him  to  go  himself.  The  pilot  was  on  board,  the  fore 
sail  and  mainsail  were  set,  and  the  anchor  hove  up  to 
a  short  stay. 

Before  three  o'clock  the  gig  was  alongside.  The 
"  ladies'  gangway,"  as  the  boys  rather  facetiously  called 
it,  because  a  genuine  sailor  needed  no  such  help  to 
board  his  ship,  was  rigged.  It  was  a  complete  set  of 
stairs,  with  a  landing  at  the  top  and  bottom,  so  that  a 
person  could  go  on  deck  as  easily  as  he  could  enter  a 
house.  The  first  and  second  lieutenants  went  to  the 
lower  landing,  and  assisted  the  ladies  out  of  the  boat, 


136  RED    CROSS,    OR 

while  Captain  Kendall  stood  at  the  upper  one  to  receive 
them. 

"  What  a  splendid  ship  !  "  cried  Grace,  with  childish 
delight,  when  Paul  took  her  hand  to  assist  her  to  the 
deck. 

"•  She  isn't  a  ship  ;  she's  a  schooner,"  laughed  Paul ; 
"  but  she's  more  beautiful  than  any  ship  that  ever 
floated  could  be." 

"  And  you  are  the  captain  of  her  !  "  exclaimed  Grace, 
as  she  retreated  a  step,  and  looked  at  him  from  head  to 
foot. 

"  I  am  the  captain  of  her,  and  I  am  as  proud  as  a 
peacock." 

"  Well,  I  should  think  you  would  be." 

"  Get  under  way,  Mr.  Terrill,  if  you  please,"  said 
Paul  to  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Who  is  Mr.  Terrill  ?  " 

"  He  is  the  executive  officer,  the  one  who  gives  all 
the  orders  in  detail." 

"That's  what  Mr.  Haven  used  to  be." 

"  Yes ;  and  he*  is  captain  of  the  Young  America 
now." 

"  Pray,  where  is  Captain  Gordon —  that  pink  of  a 
nice  young  man  ?  "  asked  Grace. 

"  He  has  gone  up  higher.  He  is  the  commander  of 
both  vessels  now.  We  call  him  Flag-officer  Gordon." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arbuckle  had  been  duly  welcomed 
before.  Their  luggage  was  taken  below,  and  they 
were  conducted  to  their  state-room.  The  mother  and 
daughter  were  to  occupy  the  professors'  room,  and  the 
father  one  of  the  spare  berths.  The  passengers  re 
mained  below  but  a  few  moments.  They  wished  to  see 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      137 

the  process  of  getting  under  way.  Paul  gave  them 
seats  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  the  officers  and  crew 
all  "  put  the  best  foot  forward "  on  this  interesting 
occasion.  The  first  lieutenant  spoke  up  loud  and 
smart,  the  officers  followed  his  example,  and  the  sea 
men  seemed  to  be  made  of  electrified  wires. 

Only  one  thing  disturbed  Paul ;  the  wind  was  due 
west,  which  was  fair  for  the  voyage,  but  it  was  blow 
ing  half  a  gale,  and  he  feared  there  would  be  too  much 
of  it  for  his  guests.  It  was  more  favorable  for  a  quick 
passage  than  for  a  comfortable  one,  though  the  pilot 
said  it  had  not  blown  long  enough  to  kick  up  a  heavy 
sea  in  the  Channel.  When  the  tide  turned  he  thought 
they  would  have  to  take  it.  The  guests  applauded  the 
skilful  handling  of  the  vessel,  as  she  stood  down  the 
lough.  Paul  then  conducted  them  to  every  part  of 
the  vessel. 

"  What  is  that  poor  fellow  shut  up  in  the  cage  for?" 
asked  Grace,  in  a  whisper,  as  she  saw  McLeish  through 
the  bars  of  the  brig. 

"  That  poor  fellow  is  shut  up  for  mutiny,  disobedi 
ence,  and  an  attempt  to  run  away,"  laughed  Paul. 
"  You  must  not  pity  him,  for  he  does  not  deserve  your 
sympathy." 

"  How  long  has  he  been  in  there?" 

"  This  is  the  fifth  day  of  his  confinement." 

"  Poor  fellow  !  Does  he  stay  in  that  place  all  the 
time?" 

"  Night  and  day." 

"  Do  let  him  out?"  pleaded  Grace. 

"  Let  him  out !  Why,  he  threatened  to  burn  the 
vessel." 


138  RED   CROSS,    OR 

"  I  dare  say  he  didn't  mean  anything  by  it.  He  was 
angry." 

"  But  we  must  keep  up  the  discipline  of  the  vessel, 
or  we  can't  do  anything." 

"  It  is  awful  to  keep  a  human  being  shut  up  in  such 
a  cage  as  that,"  added  Grace,  with  something  like  a 
shudder. 

"  You  must  not  interfere  with  the  discipline  of  the 
ship,  Grace,"  interposed  her  father. 

The  fair  girl  was  disposed  to  be  a  little  wilful,  as 
fair  girls  will  sometimes  be,  and  she  continued  to  beg 
that  the  "  poor  creature  "  might  be  released  from  the 
cage. 

"  Really,  Miss  Arbuckle,  it  is  hard  to  resist  your 
appeal,"  replied  Paul. 

"  But  I  don't  wish  you  to  resist  it,"  she  added. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  do  so,  but  I  must." 

"  You  will  not  refuse  me,  Captain  Kendall." 

Paul  enlarged  and  explained,  but  Grace  insisted 
upon  begging  the  favor.  He  wanted  to  please  her  ;  it 
was  exceedingly  disagreeable  for  him  to  refuse,  and, 
we  must  add,  exceedingly  improper,  for  her  to  persist, 
though  it  was  all  from  pure  pity  and  human  kindness. 
It  seemed  like  a  duty  for  her  to  plead,  and  it  was  just 
as  much  a  duty  for  him  to  decline.  Her  father  and 
mother  were  not  in  hearing  while  she  pleaded  her  suit, 
or  they  would  have  checked  her ;  and  poor  Paul  was 
placed  just  where  thousands  of  others  have  been  placed 
—  tempted  by  a  fair  one  to  flinch  from  a  difficult  duty. 
But  he  did  not  flinch  ;  he  resisted  even  Grace's  elo 
quent  appeal. 

"  Won't  you  let  me  see  him  and  talk  with  him,  Cap- 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      139 

tain  Kendall?"  asked  she,  when  her  other  effort  had 
failed. 

"  See  him  !  Do  you  wish  to  go  into  the  brig  with 
him?"  asked  Paul. 

"  Yes,  I  will  go  into  the  cage,  if  you  will  let  me 
talk  with  him.  I  only  want  to  persuade  him  to  be 
good." 

"  You  shall  see  him,  if  you  wish  it  very  much  ;  but 
dinner  is  ready  now ; "  and  the  gallant  young  com 
mander  escorted  his  guests  to  the  cabin. 


140  RED    CROSS,    OR 


CHAPTER  IX. 


GRACE     ARBUCKLE. 

THE  head  steward  had  "  spread  himself"  on  the 
dinner.  Lynch  had  given  him  a  hint,  and  he  pre 
pared  for  an  extraordinary  occasion.  The  captain 
himself  was  astonished  at  the  elaborate  display  of 
dishes,  but  he  contrived  to  look  dignified,  and  to  re 
gard  the  whole  thing  as  a  matter  of  course  —  and  it 
was  a  matter  of  courses,  for  the  caterer  had  seven  of 
them. 

The  soup,  fish,  and  roast  and  boiled,  passed  off  well ; 
but  about  the  time  the  fourth  course  was  brought  on, 
the  Josephine  reached  Little  Copeland  Light,  and  the 
sea,  though  not  very  heavy,  began  to  interfere  with  the 
dignity  of  the  dishes,  if  not  of  the  guests,  and  they 
danced  about  the  table  in  a  very  improper  manner. 
The  other  three  courses  were  served  rather  hurriedly, 
much  to  the  disgust  of  the  steward.  The  party  at  the 
table  consisted  of  the  officers  of  the  starboard  watch, 
the  captain,  and  the  guests. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  Mrs.  Arbuckle  appreciated 
the  steward's  display  of  dishes,  not  many  of  which  she 
tasted,  and  she  was  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  return  to 
the  deck,  and  inhale  the  fresh  air.  Probably  she  would 
have  preferred  a  much  plainer  repast,  threatened  as 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      14! 

she  was  with  the  pangs  of  seasickness.  As  it  would 
not  be  fair  to  cheat  the  officers  of  the  port  watch  out 
of  such  a  dinner,  they  were  relieved  from  duty  on  deck, 
and  the  steward  was  permitted  to  go  through  with  his 
programme  again,  and  this  time  to  the  unanimous  sat 
isfaction  of  his  party. 

The  pilot  was  discharged  off  the  light,  and  the  Jo 
sephine  was  again  in  charge  of  her  officers.  She  was 
rushing  through  the  water  at  a  rapid  rate,  under  jib, 
foresail,  and  mainsail.  Paul,  though  in  no  haste  to 
land  his  agreeable  guests,  wanted  to  make  a  quick  pas 
sage,  and  he  ordered  the  gaff-topsail  and  flying-jib  to 
be  set.  As  she  still  made  good  weather  of  it,  and  did 
not  seem  to  be  crowded,  the  foretop-sail  and  then  the 
foretop-gallant-sail  were  shaken  out.  It  was  desirable 
to  learn  the  vessel's  capacity  for  carrying  sail.  The 
experiment  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  nautical 
young  gentlemen  on  board,  more  so  than  it  was  to  the 
passengers,  whose  nerves  were  a  little  disturbed  by  the 
exciting  movements  of  the  vessel.  Under  such  a  press 
of  canvas  in  half  a  gale  of  wind,  the  Josephine  heeled 
over  considerably,  and  the  spray  dashed  wildly  about 
her  sharp  bow. 

She  behaved  magnificently,  however,  and  seemed  to 
fly  over  the  waves.  Mr.  Arbuckle  had  some  doubts, 
for  he  was  no  sailor.  Such  a  hissing,  dashing,  and 
roaring  he  had  never  heard  before,  and  he  did  not  feel 
quite  safe.  He  saw  Cleats,  the  boatswain,  an  old 
man-of-war's-man,  standing  in  the  waist,  and  he  final 
ly  edged  up  to  him,  as  if  by  accident. 

"  We  go  very  fast,"  said  he  to  the  old  salt. 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  the  last  time  they  heaved  the  log  she  was 


RED    CROSS,    OR 


making   thirteen   knots,"  replied   the   boatswain,  po 
litely. 
' "  She  tips  badly,"  added  Mr.  Arbuckle. 

"  Tips !  Why,  sir,  she  walks  along  like  a  lady  on 
Broadway.  She's  got  her  bearings,  and  she's  as  steady 
as  a  judge  on  the  bench.  See  how  she  tosses  her  head, 
sir!  Just  like  a  lady  in  a  ball-room,  sir!  She  don't 
put  her  nose  into  it,  like  a  pig  does  into  his  grub  ;  she 
lifts  herself  over  it,  sir.  I've  been  in  a  good  many  ves 
sels,  sir,  but  I  never  was  in  one  that  took  a  sea  so 
easily." 

"Don't  you  think  it  is  very  bad  weather?  "  asked  the 
nervous  passenger,  as  he  glanced  at  the  white  caps  to 
windward. 

"  Bad  weather?  This  is  beautiful  weather,  sir.  A 
smashing  breeze,  and  everything  lively  and  comforta 
ble.  I  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  this  vessel,  and  we  ran 
through  two  piping  blows,  regular  muzzlers.  We  lay 
to  under  a  close-reefed  foresail  for  six  hours ;  but  the 
vessel  didn't  wink  nor  blink  under  it,  and  never  took 
a  sea  aboard  in  the  whole  of  it  —  hardly  a  bucket  of 
water  at  any  time." 

"  But  she  was  in  charge  of  men  then,"  suggested 
Mr.  Arbuckle. 

"  Men  !  Well,  sir,  she's  got  a  better  crew  on  board 
of  her  now  than  she  ever  had  before.  Why,  bless  you, 
sir,  that  boy  captain  is  fit  to  command  a  frigate.  I 
never  saw  a  man-of-war  handled  any  better  than  this 
vessel  is." 

"  Don't  you  think  they  are  putting  on  too  much 
sail?" 

"Just  right,  sir.     I  hope  you  are  not  afraid,  sir?" 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       143 

"  Not  for  myself,"  replied  the  guest.  "  My  wife  and 
daughter  are  on  board." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  must  say  I  think  they  are  safer  here 
than  they  are  on  shore,"  added  Cleats,  hitching  up  his 
trousers.  "  For  my  part,  I  never  feel  quite  safe  when 
I'm  on  the  land.  I  never  go  into  the  streets  without 
being  afraid  I  shall  get  run  over  ;  and  as  for  those  rail 
cars,  I  never  get  into  one  without  shaking  in  my  shoes. 
A  man  isn't  safe  ashore,  sir  — "  and  the  boatswain 
shook  his  head.  "  But  aboard  a  good  vessel,  well 
manned  —  well,  sir,  a  man  isn't  so  safe  anywhere  else 
as  he  is  there." 

"  Then  you  do  not  think  there  is  any  danger?  "  asked 
Mr.  Arbuckle. 

"  Not  a  bit,. sir!  "  protested  Cleats,  with  emphasis. 
"  You  and  the  ladies  were  never  so  safe  in  your  lives, 
as  you  are  at  this  moment,  sir." 

"  I  thank  you  for  this  assurance." 

"  Well,  sir,  I've  only  spoken  the  truth,  according  to 
a  sailor's  creed  ;  and  I  don't  see  how  anything  can  hap 
pen  to  you,  unless  you  take  the  trouble  to  jump  over 
board.  Do  you  see  that  steamer  ahead,  sir?  " 

"  I  see  her." 

"  Well,  sir,  we've  been  overhauling  her  ever  since 
the  topsails  were  shaken  out.  She  can  read  the  name 
on  the  stern  of  this  vessel  before  eight  bells." 

"She  can't  sail  faster  than  a  steamer  —  can  she?" 
asked  the  guest. 

"  In  a  calm,  she  can't ;  and  it  depends  a  little  on 
how  fast  the  steamer  sails,  but  not  much.  With  this 
breeze  we  can  beat  almost  any  of  these  English  steam 
ers." 


144  RED  CROSS,  OR 

Mr.  Arbuckle  was  not  particularly  interested  in  the 
relative  speed  of  the  schooner  and  the  steamer  ;  but 
his  conversation  with  the  boatswain  quieted  his  fears, 
and  he  soon  became  accustomed  to  the  dash  of  the 
vessel.  Mrs.  Arbuckle  was  rather  nervous,  but  Grace 
enjoyed  the  wild  scene.  Paul  had  pointed  out  the 
steamer  ahead,  and  both  of  them  were  watching  her. 
The  Josephine  was  gaining  about  two  knots  an  hour 
upon  her,  and  the  fair  passenger  was  quite  excited  by 
the  race.  They  watched  her  for  an  hour,  and  as  the 
boatswain  had  prophesied,  the  schooner  went  by  her 
long  before  eight  bells. 

After  the  interest  attending  the  race  had  subsided, 
Grace  again  alluded  to  the  "  poor  creature  in  the  cage." 
She  was  really  troubled  by  his  presumed  sorrows  and 
sufferings. 

"When  may  I  see  him,  Captain  Kendall?"  she 
asked. 

"  When  you  please,"  replied  Paul. 

"  I  will  go  to  him  now,"  said  she,  her  eyes  bright 
ening. 

"  I  am  afraid  he  will  convince  you  that  I  am  an 
awful  monster,"  laughed  Paul. 

"  O,  no,  captain  !  " 

"  He  is  an  ugly  fellow  :  are  you  not  afraid  of  him?  " 

"Not  at  all;  take  me  to  him,  and  perhaps  I  can 
make  a  good  young  man  of  him." 

"  Perhaps  you  can  ;  and  I  hope  you  will." 

"  If  he  will  promise  to  be  good,  you  will  let  him  out 
• —  won't  you?  " 

"  He  will  promise  anything  and  everything.  When 
I  am  satisfied  that  he  really  means,  to  obey  orders  and 
behave  himself,  I  will  release  him." 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      145 

"  Then  take  me  to  him." 

"  We  will  go  into  the  cabin,  and  I  will  send  for 
him." 

"  Thank  you." 

Paul  conducted  her  to  the  cabin.  All  the  officers 
were  on  deck,  and  the  captain  told  the  steward  to  pass 
the  word  for  Mr.  Cleats.  The  boatswain  came,  the 
keys  of  the  brig  were  given  to  him,  and  he  was  direct 
ed  to  bring  McLeish  into  the  cabin. 

"  You  will  let  me  talk  with  him  alone  —  won't  you  ?  " 
continued  Grace. 

"  Alone  !  I  should  not  dare  to  have  you  alone  with 
him,"  replied  Paul. 

"I'm  not  afraid  of  him.  He  would  not  be  him 
self  before  you,"  persisted  Grace. 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  go  into  my  state-room,  but  Mr. 
Cleats  will  remain." 

"  I  will  consent  to  that." 

Paul  retired  to  his  room,  and  Mr.  Cleats  returned 
with  the  prisoner,  who  seemed  to  be  astonished  at 
being  brought  into  the  cabin  to  see  a  young  lady  who 
was  a  stranger  to  him. 

"  Shall  I  leave  you,  miss?"  asked  the  boatswain. 

"  No  ;  the  captain  said  you  were  to  remain,"  replied 
Grace,  as  she  bestowed  a  look  of  mingled  pity  and  in 
terest  upon  the  ruffian  face  of  McLeish. 

The  prisoner  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it.  He 
looked  confused,  thrust  his  hands  into  his  pockets,  and 
gazed  upon  the  carpet  at  his  feet. 

"  Pray  sit  down,  Mr.  McLeish,"  said  she,  pointing  to 
a  stool  in  front  of  her. 

McLeish  dropped  himself  upon  the  seat. 


146  RED   CROSS,   OR 

"Won't  you  sit  down,  Mr.  Cleats?"  she  added,  to 
the  boatswain,  who  stood  at  the  door  with  his  cap 
under  his  arm  ;  but  the  boatswain  never  sat  down  in 
the  cabin. 

"  You  don't  know  how  sad  it  made  me  feel  when  I 
saw  you  through  the  bars  of  that  cage,"  continued 
Grace,  as  she  drew  her  stool  a  little  nearer  to  the  culprit. 

"  If  s  no  my  fault,"  flouted  McLeish.  "  The  nobs 
here  are  all  Yankees,  and  I'm  a  Scotch  boy.  They 
hate  me,  and  that  makes  them  insult  me." 

"Insult  you  !     I  hope  not,"  said  Grace,  mildly. 

"  That's  just  what  they  do,"  protested  the  culprit, 
sourly. 

"Won't  you  be  very  calm,  Mr.  McLeish?  I  per 
suaded  the  captain  to  let  me  talk  with  you,  for  I  pity 
you  very  much,  and  I  wish  to  do  something  for  you." 

The  prisoner  stared  at  her,  as  though  he  doubted 
her  interest  in  him  ;  but  she  was  a  very  pretty  girl,  and 
her  expression  was  so  tender  and  pitying  that  he  could 
not  long  doubt  the  reality  of  her  sympathy. 

"  Won't  you  tell  me  now  why  you  were  put  into  that 
cage  ?  "  continued  Grace. 

"  The  brig,  miss,  if  you  please,"  interposed  Cleats, 
to  whom  it  seemed  like  treason  to  miscall  anything  on 
board  the  vessel. 

"  I  mean  the  brig,"  added  the  fair  questioner. 

"  I  was  first  put  in  because  I  wanted  to  change  my 
berth,"  replied  McLeish,  in  a  pleasanter  tone  than  he 
had  yet  spoken. 

"  Indeed !  " 

But  Cleats,  fully  sustaining  the  discipline  of  the  ves 
sel,  was  so  indignant  at  this  partial  statement,  that  he 
let  the  truth  all  out  in  half  a  dozen  words. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND   WALES.       147 

"  Why  shouldn't  I  change  my  berth  if  I  wanted  to?" 
said  the  prisoner.  "  The  nob  made  me  mad,  and  I 
was  bound  to  whip  him." 

"  Then  one  of  the  nobs  knocked  him  over,"  added 
Cleats. 

"  But  he  didn't  fight  fair." 

Even  Grace  could  not  help  seeing  that  McLeish  was 
wholly  in  the  wrong,  and  she  frankly  told  him  so. 

"  Then  the  captain  robbed  me  of  my  money," 
growled  McLeish.  "  He  took  three  pounds  from  me." 

"  But  that  is  one  of  the  rules  of  the  ship,"  replied 
Grace.  "  Mr.  McLeish,  I  am  so  sorry  to  find  that  you 
have  done  wrong  !  but  I  pity  you  ever  so  much.  Don't 
you  think  it  was  wrong  to  make  a  quarrel,  and  resist 
the  officer?" 

"  I  was  mad." 

"  That  is  no  excuse." 

"  They  made  me  mad." 

"  Mr.  Terrill  treated  you  just  as  he  did  the  others." 

"  He  didn't  knock  any  other  fellow  over." 

"  No  other  one  resisted  him." 

"  They  were  not  MacGregors,"  replied  the  descend 
ant  of  that  famous  name. 

Grace  laughed  in  spite  of  herself  at  the  answer ; 
but  she  "  wrestled  "  with  the  culprit  until  she  com 
pelled  him  to  acknowledge  that  he  was  wrong,  and  that 
all  he  had  done  was  wrong. 

"  Do  you  wish  to  be  forgiven?"  asked  Grace,  in  the 
gentlest  and  most  winning  tones. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"You  don't!  "  exclaimed  she,  fearing  that  she  had 
made  no  real  progress  in  her  work. 


148  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Who's  to  forgive  me  ?  " 

"  The  captain  and  the  first  lieutenant,  to  be  sure." 

"Mr.  Terrill?" 

"  Yes  ;  he  is  the  one  you  resisted." 

"  But  he  knocked  me  down,  and  by  the  blood  oi 
the  MacGregors,  he  shall  pay  dearly  for  that ! "  said 
McLeish,  shaking  his  head. 

"  It  was  quite  right  for  him  to  knock  you  down, 
when  you  resisted.  If  you  had  not  resisted,  he  would 
not  have  knocked  you  down,"  added  Grace,  who  was 
clearly  on  the  side  of  law  and  order  ;  and  Cleats  was 
so  pleased  with  her  spirit  that  he  could  hardly  contain 
himself. 

"  He  didn't  fight  fair,  or  he  wouldn't  have  got  the 
better  of  me,"  retorted  the  culprit,  resorting  to  his 
usual  clincher. 

"  That  wasn't  the  reason  why  he  got  the  better  of 
you,  Mr.  McLeish.  The  reason  was,  because  he  was 
in  the  right,  and  you  were  in  the  wrong,"  responded 
the  gentle  umpire.  "  Duty  makes  us  strong,  and  God 
gives  the  victory  to  the  just  cause.  I  have  no  doubt, 
if  you  had  been  in  the  right,  you  would  have  got  the 
better  of  Mr.  Terrill." 

This  was  rather  soothing  to  the  damaged  pride  of 
the  prisoner,  and  perhaps  the  obvious  truth  of  her 
words  made  an  impression  on  his  mind  and  heart. 
It  was  a  plausible  explanation  of  the  disaster  which 
had  befallen  him  in  his  encounter  with  the  first  lieu 
tenant  ;  and  it  was  pleasanter  to  believe  that  he  had 
made  a  mistake  than  to  acknowledge  even  to  himself 
that  Terrill  on  any  and  all  occasions  could  whip  him. 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  miss,"  said  he,  rubbing  his 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.       149 

curly  head.  "  I  believe  I  was  in  the  wrong ;  if  I 
hadn't  been,  Mr.  Terrill  could  not  have  beaten  me  as 
he  did." 

"  Then  you  are  willing  to  be  forgiven,"  said  Grace, 
hopefully. 

"  I  am,"  he  replied  with  some  hesitation. 

"  Are  you  willing  to  ask  Mr.  Terrill  to  forgive  you?" 

McLeish  looked  at  her.  Those  bright  eyes  and  that 
winning  face  were  irresistible. 

"  I  am,"  said  he.     "  Am  I  to  be  let  off  then ? " 

"  That's  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter.  I  don't 
know.  I  can't  promise  anything,"  replied  Grace. 
"  I  wish  you  to  apologize  to  Mr.  Terrill,  because  it 
is  right  for  you  to  do  so  —  because  you  have  done 
wrong." 

"  For  your  sake  I'll  do  it ! "  exclaimed  McLeish, 
who  could  not  resist  her  influence. 

"  No,"  interposed  she,  decidedly.  "  You  shall  not 
do  it  for  my  sake,  but  for  your  own." 

"  I  will !  I  will !  "  exclaimed  the  culprit,  who  now 
seemed  eager  to  apologize. 

"  Then  go  on  deck,  and  do  it,"  said  she,  with  the 
air  of  an  empress. 

He  rose  from  his  seat,  and  hastened  up  the  steps, 
closely  followed  by  Cleats.  The  first  lieutenant  was 
standing  in  the  midst  of  a  group  of  the  officers. 
He  was  astonished  when  he  saw  McLeish  approach 
ing  him,  and  still  more  astonished  when  the  prisoner 
went  through  the  motion  of  touching  his  cap,  bowing 
even  humbly  as  he  did  so. 

"  I  have  come,  Mr.  Terrill,  to  say  that  I  was  all 
wrong,  and  I  humbly  beg  your  pardon  for  resisting 


I5O  RED    CROSS,    OR 

you  as  I  did,"  said  McLeish.  "  I  ask  your  forgive 
ness,  sir." 

"  I  grant  it  with  all  my  heart,"  said  Terrill,  as 
promptly  as  a  kind  and  noble  heart  could  express 
itself.  "  Here  is  my  hand." 

"  I  promise  you  I  will  do  all  you  tal  me,"  added 
McLeish,  taking  the  offered  hand.  "  I  hope  you  will 
all  forgive  me  for  the  wrong  I  have  done,"  he  con 
tinued,  glancing  at  the  rest  of  the  group. 

"  All  right,"  replied  Pelham.  "  You  shall  have  fair 
play." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  McLeish,  as  he  bowed  again 
and  retreated  to  the  cabin,  still  followed  by  Cleats, 
who  was  utterly  amazed,  though  he  afterwards  said 
he  did  not  see  how  the  beggar  could  help  doing  as  he 
did,  with  those  bright  eyes  shining  into  his  soul  —  the 
boatswain  wrote  sea-poetry  sometimes. 

"Well,  Mr.  Cleats,  did  he  ask  Mr.  Terrill's  par 
don?"  Grace  inquired,  as  they  returned  to  the  cabin. 

"  Yes,  miss ;  and  he  did  it  handsomely  too,"  re 
plied  the  boatswain  ;  "  and  not  only  the  first  lieuten 
ant's,  but  that  of  all  the  officers  on  deck." 

"  And  I  meant  what  I  said,"  added  McLeish,  who 
certainly  appeared  to  be  sincere. 

Grace  pleaded  with  him  for  duty's  sake  till  he  was 
almost  in  tears,  and  then  sent  for  the  captain.  Paul 
was  as  dignified  as  an  admiral  when  he  returned. 

"  Captain  Kendall,  I've  been  all  wrong,  and  I  hope 
to  be  forgiven  for  it,"  said  McLeish. 

Paul  bit  his  lip. 

"  I  only  ask  to  be  forgiven,  and  I'll  bear  any  pun« 
ishment  you  put  upon  me,"  added  the  culprit. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IX    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.    151 

"  I  freely  forgive  you,  McLeish,  and  I  assure  you 
that  neither  I  nor  any  other  officer  on  board  has  any 
ill-will  towards  you,"  replied  the  captain  ;  "  I  only  wish 
you  to  do  your  duty." 

"  I  will  do  it  faithfully ;  I'll  no  give  you  any  more 
trouble  from  this  out,"  protested  the  prisoner. 

"  McLeish,  your  case  shall  be  carefully  considered. 
If  I  conclude  that  it  is  safe  to  trust  you,  I  will  set  you 
at  liberty ;  but  not  at  once.  Mr.  Cleats,  you  will 
return  him  to  the  brig,"  added  Captain  Kendall. 

"  I  hoped  you  would  set  him  free  now,"  said  Grace, 
when  the  boatswain  and  the  prisoner  had  left  the 
cabin  ;  and  her  face  glowed  with  excitement. 

"  I  am  not  quite  ready  yet." 
'  "  I'm  sure  McLeish  means  well." 

"  We  shall  see,"  replied  Paul,  as  he  escorted  Grace 
to  the  deck. 

The  scene  which  had  taken  place  on  the  quarter 
deck  had  already  been  reported  to  all  hands.  The 
captai'n  and  the  first  lieutenant  conferred  together  in 
Grace's  presence,  Mr.  Terrill  joined  with  her  in  plead 
ing  for  the  release  of  the  prisoner,  and  Paul  finally 
gave  the  order  to  set  him  free. 

"  Let  me  go  with  you,  Mr.  Terrill,"  said  Grace. 
"  I  want  to  see  him  when  he  comes  out." 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  first  lieutenant ;  and  he 
conducted  her  to  the  steerage. 

The-  door  of  the  brig  was  opened,  and  McLeish 
directed  to  come  out. 

"  By  order  of  the  captain,  you  are  set  at  liberty," 
said  Terrill. 

*'  I  will  do  my  duty  from  this  out,"  replied  the  cul- 


152  RED   CROSS,    OR 

prit.  "  And,  miss,  you  have  softened  my  heart,  and 
I  thank  you  for  that,  and  for  getting  my  liberty  for  me." 

Grace  talked  to  him  for  half  an  hour,  and  with 
maidenly  dignity  pointed  out  to  him  the  destiny  of  the 
evil-doer.  She  told  him  he  could  never  be  happy 
while  he  persisted  in  doing  wrong,  and  could  never 
be  satisfied  with  himself  or  any  one  else. 

"  You  have  saved  me,  miss  ;  you  have  made  a  good 
young  man  of  me,  and  I  will  die  rather  than  go  wrong 
again,"  protested  McLeish,  impulsively. 

"  I  shall  hear  from  you  often,  McLeish,  and  I  hope 
nothing  bad  will  be  reported  of  you,"  added  Grace,  as 
she  returned  to  her  parents  on  deck. 

"  How  are  you,  McLeish  !  "  exclaimed  Templeton, 
as  the  discharged  prisoner  showed  himself  among  the 
crew. 

"  Don't  tampt  me,  lads,  don't  tampt  me,  any  of  you, 
for  I  have  promised  to  be  good,  and  I  mean  it,"  said 
McLeish. 

"  Eh  !  What's  the  matter  with  you  ?  "  demanded 
Templeton.  "  Have  you  become  one  of  the  chap 
lain's  lambs?" 

"  No,  but  I  wish  I  were  one  —  upon  my  life  I  do, 
for  I  would  like  to  live  in  the  same  heaven  with  yon 
young  lady." 

"  Whew  !  "  whistled  Templeton. 

"  O,  I'm  in  airnest,  lads  ;  I  mean  it  all." 

"  He  has  fallen  in  love  with  Miss  Arbuckle,"  laughed 
one  of  the  seamen. 

"  I've  fallen  in  love  with  the  goodness  in  her  heart. 
If  there  was  ever  an  angel  upon  earth,  she  is  the  one. 
Dinna  laugh  at  me,  lads.  With  the  halp  of  God,  I'll 
be  as  2094  a$  tb,9  Ipest  of  ye." 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.    153 

"  Gone  mad ! "  sneered  Templeton.  "  I  say, 
McLeish,  there's  a  little  unsettled  matter  between  us  — 
you  remember." 

"  I  don't  mind." 

"Don't  you,  indeed?  You  have  a  bad  memory. 
Didn't  you  want  to  fight  me  when  we  were  on  Loch 
Lomond?" 

"  I'll  no  fight  you  now,"  replied  McLeish,  decidedly. 

"  Don't  back  out,  man.  We  have  liberty  now,  and 
there  is  a  good  chance  to  find  out  who  is  the  best 
man." 

"  I'll  no  fight  you." 

"  Have  you  become  a  coward?  " 

"  Say  what  you  just  like,  lads  ;  I'll  keep  to  the  right 
path  now."  . 

Certainly  the  convert  promised  well,  and  after  some 
of  "  our  fellows "  had  bantered  him  for  a  while, 
they  let  him  alone.  He  did  not  yield  to  the  tempta 
tion  which  the  taunts  of  the  evil-minded  suggested,  and 
then  some  of  the  better  boys  came  to  him,  and  cheered 
and  encouraged  him.  Grace  had  exerted  a  powerful 
influence  upon  him,  and  if  he  persevered  it  would  be 
the  best  day's  work  a  young  lady  ever  did. 

The  darkness  swept  down  upon  the  Josephine  while 
she  was  still  leaping  over  the  waves,  making  an  aver 
age  of  twelve  knots.  The  passengers  retired,  and  the 
vigilant  officers  paced  the  deck,  watching  the  com 
pass,  the  sails,  and  the  weather.  Safely  she  sped  on 
her  way  amid  the  gloom  and  the  waves,  and  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  she  was  off  the  Bell  Beacon,  at 
the  mouth  of  Queen's  Channel.  Fortunately  a  pilot 
was  at  hand,  and  while  it  was  still  dark  the  anchor  of 


154  RED  CROSS,  OR 

the  Josephine  was  dropped  within  hail  of  the  Young 
America. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Mr.  Arbuckle,  as  he 
rushed  on  deck,  roused  from  his  slumbers  by  the  rat 
tling  of  the  cable  through  the  hawse-hole. 

"  Nothing,  sir,"  replied  Paul,  cheerfully,  for  he  was 
on  deck,  having  been  called  when  the  schooner  came 
up  with  the  beacon. 

"  I  thought  we  were  going  to  the  bottom.  What 
was  all  that  fearful  noise  ?  " 

"Nothing  but  the  cable,  sir,  as  the  anchor  went 
down." 

"  The  anchor !  "  exclaimed  the  passenger.  "  Have 
you  come  to  anchor?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  What  for  ?     Is  there  a  storm  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  we  have  arrived  at  Liverpool,  and  have 
concluded  not  to  go  any  farther  to-night,"  laughed  the 
young  commander,  who  was  in  the  highest  of  spirits. 

"  Liverpool !  Bless  me,  I  did  not  expect  to  get  to 
Liverpool  till  to-morrow  night.  Pray  what  time  is  it?  " 

"  Three  o'clock,  sir." 

"  You  must  have  made  a  remarkable  passage." 

"  Pretty  fair,  sir,"  replied  Paul.  "  You  wouldn't 
have  come  much  quicker  by  the  mail  line." 

"  Really,  it's  astonishing." 

"  The  Josephine  has  done  splendidly,  as  she  will  any 
time,  if  you  only  give  her  wind  enough.  After  all,  one 
might  have  been  two  or  three  days  about  it.  I  hope 
the  ladies  have  not  been  disturbed  by  the  noise." 

"  I  will  see  them,  and  tell  them  we  are  in  Liverpool." 

Mr.  Arbuckle  went  below,  and  after  everything  had 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        155 

been  made  snug  on  board,  all  hands,  except  an  anchor 
watch,  turned  in.  All  was  quiet  below,  and  the  cap 
tain  was  soon  sound  asleep. 

Six  o'clock  was  the  hour  in  the  morning  at  which 
all  hands  were  called,  on  board  the  Young  America 
arid  her  consort,  and  at  that  hour  the  pipe  of  the  bont- 
swain  rang  through  the  vessel.  The  deck  was  washed 
down,  the  yards  squared,  and  every  rope  was  hauled 
taut.  By  this  time  all  hands  were  on  deck,  and  the 
passengers  had  come  up  to  taste  the  morning  air. 
Grace  was  as  fresh  as  a  new-blown  rose,  and  as 
Paul  looked  at  her,  he  was  sorry  he  had  made  such  a 
quick  passage. 

The  Young  America  lay  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  Josephine,  and  after  her  morning  work  was  done 
the  crew  crowded  into  the  rigging.  Mr.  Lowington 
was  seen  on  the  top-gallant  forecastle,  and  presently 
all  hands  in  the  ship  gave  three  rousing  cheers,  which 
were  returned  by  the  Josephine.  The  professor's  barge 
was  lowered  ;  the  principal,  surgeon,  and  chaplain  em 
barked  in  her,  and  were  soon  on  the  schooner's  deck. 
Of  course  Mr.  Lowington  was  surprised  to  see  Mr. 
Arbuckle  and  his  family  on  board  ;  but  he  was  not  the 
less  delighted  to  meet  them. 


156  RED   CROSS,   OR 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    EXCURSION    TO    CHESTER. 

WELL,  Captain  Kendall,  how  does  the  Josephine 
work?"  asked  Air.  Lowington,  after  he  had 
congratulated  him  upon  his  safe  arrival. 

"  Splendidly,  sir,"  replied  Paul,  with  enthusiasm. 
"  We  made  the  run  from  Belfast  in  twelve  hours,  beat 
ing  the  steamer." 

"  I  think  you  must  have  carried  sail  pretty  well," 
laughed  the  principal. 

"  I  didn't  strain  her  any,  sir ;  I  kept  her  easy  all  the 
time." 

"  I  find  no  fault ;  but  you  must  remember  that  the 
Josephine's  spars  are  not  the  heaviest,"  added  Mr. 
Lowington.  "  I  see  that  Lynch  and  Grossbeck  are 
among  the  crew,  and  that  McLeish  is  at  liberty." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  we  overhauled  that  brig  off  the  Isle  of 
Man,  and  our  runaways  were  glad  to  get  away  from 
her,"  replied  Paul,  as  he  proceeded  to  describe  his 
interview  with  the  brig,  and  the  escape  of  the 
deserters. 

k<  I  am  sorry  to  have  any  one  run  away  from  us,  but 
I  am  not  sorry  this  incident  has  occurred,"  replied  the 
principal,  as  Paul  finished.  "  As  long  as  the  students 
have  but  little  money,  they  cannot  go  far  on  shore  ;  but 


YOUNG    AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.         157 

I  have  feared  they  would  ship  in  other  vessels.  The 
experience  of  Lynch  and  Grossbeck  will  be  a  whole 
some  lesson  for  them  to  ponder.  The  captain  of  the 
Prince  Alfred  is  evidently  one  of  the  worst  specimens 
of  a  British  ship-master  ;  but,  even  if  kindly  treated,  our 
boys  would  not  thrive  as  common  sailors  in  the  fore- 
. castle  of  any  merchantman.  Salt  junk  and  hard  bread* 
would  disgust  them  in  a  few  days,  for  they  have  been 
used  to  roast  beef  a'nd  plum  puddings,  to  say  nothing 
of  hard  work,  hard  bunks,  and  hard  companions. 
You  did  not  punish  them?" 

"  I  gave  them  no  liberty  at  Belfast,  as  I  did  the  oth 
ers.  I  thought  they  had  punished  themselves  about 
enough,"  answered  Paul. 

"  Use  your  own  judgment,"  added  the  principal. 

Paul  then  related  the  remarkable  conversion  of 
McLeish,  through  the  agency  of  Grace,  which,  in  spite 
of  its  serious  nature,  had  some  amusing  features.  The 
idea  of  a  young  lady  of  fourteen,  brought  up  in  ease 
and  luxury,  troubling  herself  about  the  reformation  of 
an  obdurate  sailor  boy,  was  not  in  keeping  with  every 
day  experience  ;  but  it  was  a  very  pleasant  incident, 
and  Mr.  Lowington  expressed  his  high  appreciation 
of  the  character  of  Grace. 

"  What  shall  I  do  with  McLeish  now,  sir?  "  asked 
Paul. 

"  Do  what  you  think  proper." 

"  Shall  I  deprive  him  of  his  liberty?" 

"  As  you  deem  it  expedient,"  laughed  the  principal, 
as  he  walked  away. 

Dr.  Winstock  was  happy  to  see  Paul  again,  and 
walked  through  the  vessel  with  him.  The  chaplain 

4 


158  RED    CROSS,    OR 

heard  the  story  of  McLeish,  and  endeavored  to  deep 
en  the  impression  which  Grace  had  produced  upon 
his  mind.  As  Mr.  Arbuckle  wished  to  proceed  imme 
diately  to  London,  the  gig  was  prepared  for  his  accom 
modation. 

"  I  hope  I  shall  see  you  again,  Miss  Arbuckle,"  said 
Paul,  as  he  escorted  her  to  the  gangway. 

"  We  shall  be  at  my  uncle's,  near  London,  for  a 
month,"  replied  she,  "  and  I  shall  depend  upon  seeing 
you." 

"  We  shall  be  in  London  by  the  first  of  next 
month,  I  think." 

"  But  you  will  write  to  me  — will  you  not?" 

"  With  the  greatest  pleasure." 

"  And  you  will  not  fail  to  tell  me  all  about  Mr. 
McLeish?" 

"  I  will  not." 

Grace  gave  him  her  address  in  London,  and  he 
handed  her  down  into  the  boat,  which  pulled  for 
George's  Landing  Stage,  in  charge  of  Pelham. 

"  Everything  seems  to  be  lovely  on  board,"  said  the 
doctor,  as  he  noticed  that  Paul's  eye  was  following  the 
boat.  "  I  hope  you  will  not  be  homesick  now  that 
young  lady  has  gone." 

"  I  have  too  much  to  do  for  that,"  replied  Paul,  with 
a  blush,  as  he  glanced  at  the  boat  again. 

"  The  millennium  seems  to  have  come  on  board  of 
your  ship  —  all  rebellions,  mutinies,  and  insurrections 
repressed,  and  even  McLeish  suddenly  converted  from 
a  demon  into  an  angel." 

"  I  hope  it  will  last,"  replied  Paul. 

"  I  think  you  will  have  to  employ  that  young  lady 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      159 

to  sail  with  you  ;  for  she  seems  to  have  a  powerful 
influence  over  obdurate  youngsters,"  laughed  the  sur 
geon.  "As  you  have  no  chaplain,  you  had  better 
engage  her.  She  has  conquered  the  rebels  —  and  the 
captain  too." 

"  I  like  her,  doctor,  and  I  won't  deny  it,"  added 
Paul,  desperately  ;  "  and  I  don't  like  her  any  the  less 
for  her  interest  in  McLeish." 

"  It  isn't  always  quite  agreeable  to  have  a  young 
lady  interested  in  two  young  gentlemen  at  the  same 
time." 

"  Pooh,  doctor  !     It  isn't  anything  of  that  kind." 

"  I  suppose  not ;  but  I  dare  say  you  would  not  like 
to  have  her  take  too  much  interest  in  McLeish." 

"  The  more  the  better,"  replied  Paul,  stoutly. 

"  I  fear  you  will  not  always  be  so  disinterested." 

"  I  shall  try  to  be,  at  any  rate." 

This  bantering  was  interrupted  by  the  principal, 
who  had  business  matters  to  adjust  with  the  captain. 

"  How  many  petty  officers  and  seamen  have  you 
now,  Captain  Kendall?" 

"  Thirty-one,  sir ;  and  I  would  like  one  more  to 
make  even  watches." 

"  You  shall  have  him.  That  will  give  you  eight 
in  each  quarter  watch,"  added  Mr.  Lowington,  con 
sulting  his  memorandum-book.  "  My  agent  in  the 
United  States  has  received  more  than  I  supposed,  and 
forty  arrived  in  the  steamer.  They  are  now  on  board 
the  ship.  If  I  send  you  one,  the  ship  will  then  have 
her  complement,  lacking  one,  and  you  will  have  four 
berths  vacant  in  your  steerage,  and  four  in  your  cabin, 
At  this  rate  we  shall  soon  want  another  vessel." 


l6o  RED   CROSS,    OR 

"  Are  the  instructors  for  the  Josephine  on  board  of 
the  ship?"  inquired  Paul. 

"  They  are,  and  very  anxious  to  see  the  vessel  in 
which  they  are  to  sail.  We  will  make  these  changes 
at  once,  and  send  them  on  board,  for  \ve  go  to  Ches 
ter  this  afternoon." 

The  barge  returned  to  the  ship,  and  the  first  cutter 
was  sent  off  for  the  professors  and  the  extra  hand. 

"  The  first  cutter  is  coming,  sir,  with  the  flag-officer 
on  board,"  reported  the  fourth  master  to  the  captain,  in 
his  state-room. 

"Man  the  side,"  replied  Paul,  who  had  already 
made  arrangements  for  this  important  ceremony. 

Twelve  of  the  crew  had  been  selected  to  act  as  side- 
boys  ;  and  when  the  first  cutter  reached  the  gangway, 
they  were  drawn  up  in  two  lines,  facing  each  other, 
between  which  the  superior  officer  was  to  pass.  In 
the  navy  the  captain  of  the  ship,  whatever  his  rank, 
or  any  higher  officer,  is  always  received  in  this  man 
ner  when  he  comes  on  board  of  the  ship.  Paul  took 
his  place  on  the  quarter-deck,  at  the  end  of  the  double 
line  of  side-boys,  with  his  officers  standing  behind 
him. 

Flag-officer  Gordon  was  the  first  to  reach  the  deck ; 
and  as  he  passed  between  the  side  boys,  they  saluted 
him  by  touching  their  caps.  He  was  followed  by  the 
professors,  to  whom  the  same  courtesy  was  extended. 
Paul  raised  his  cap  as  the  high  and  mighty  flag-officer 
of  the  squadron  approached  him,  and  all  the  lieuten 
ants  and  masters  did  the  same. 

"  Captain  Gordon,  I  am  happy  to  receive  you  on 
board  of  the  Josephine." 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      l6l 

"Thank  you,  Captain  Kendall,"  replied  the  flag- 
officer,  who  could  hardly  keep  from  laughing  at  the 
stateliness  of  the  ceremony,  as  he  extended  his  hand. 
"  I  congratulate  you  upon  the  brilliant  success  of  your 
first  cruise.  And  between  you  and  me,  Paul,"  he 
added  in  an  under-tone,  "  I  would  rather  be  in  your 
boots  than  in  my  own." 

"  You  can  hoist  your  flag  aboard  my  vessel  if  you 
like,  Charley,"  replied  Paul,  in  his  ear. 

"  Captain  Kendall,  allow  me  to  introduce  Professor 
Hamblin,"  continued  Gordon. 

"  I  am  happy  to  welcome  you  on  board  of  the  Jo 
sephine,  Mr.  Hamblin,"  said  Paul,  taking  the  instruct 
or  by  the  hand,  and  raising  his  cap.  "  Gentlemen, 
Professor  Hamblin,"  he  added  to  his  officers. 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  yon,"  replied  the  learned  man, 
with  dignity  enough  for  the  president  of  a  college. 

"  Professor  Stoute,"  added  the  flag-officer ;  and  he 
Was  received  as  his  colleague  had  been. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  boys.  •  Wanted  some  more  bal 
last —  didn't  you?"  chuckled  the  fat  professor,  shak 
ing  his  sides.  "  You  seem  to  have  a  jolly  time  of  it 
here?  " 

"  We  try  to  be  happy,"  answered  Paul. 

"  I'll  help  you  do  that,"  continued  the  professor. 
"  Arn't  you  afraid  I  shall  sink  this  little  vessel?" 

"  O,  no,  sir,"  laughed  the  captain. 

"  Between  us',  Captain  Kendall,"  added  Mr.  Stoute, 
in  a  low  tone,  "  Mr.  Hamblin  is  as  heavy  again  as  I 
am,  though  I  weigh  about  twice  as  much  as  he  does." 

"  Then  you  will  just  balance  each  other,"  replied 
Paul.  "Mr.  Briskett."  lie  continued,  calling  the  head 


162  RED    CROSS,    OR 

steward,  "  I'll  thank  you  to  show  the  professors  their 
state-room." 

"  I  must  have  my  berth  pretty  near  the  middle  oT 
the  vessel,  or  you  will  have  to  shift  the  ballast,"  added 
Professor  Stoute,  shaking  his  fat  sides  again.  "  I  used 
to  do  duty  as  chain  box  for  a  small  steamer  on  the 
Sound." 

All  hands  laughed,  as  much  because  they  were 
pleased,  as  because  it  was  a  duty  to  laugh  at  the 
schoolmaster's  jokes,  and  the  head  steward  conducted 
the  "  brains  "  of  the  vessel  to  the  state-room  prepared 
for  their  reception.  Professor  Hamblin  did  not  laugh. 
He  appeared  to  be  displeased  at  the  levity  of  his  com 
panion  ;  but  the  students  had  already  made  up  their 
minds  to  like  the  fat  professor,  and  to  leave  the  lean 
one  to  circumstances. 

"  Captain  Kendall,  with  the  continued  assurance  of 
my  distinguished  consideration,  permit  me  to  inform 
you  that  I  am  the  bearer  of  a  note  from  the  honored 
principal  of  the  Academy  squadron  to  the  gallant 
captain  of  the  Josephine,"  said  Gordon,  as  they  re 
tired  from  the  group  of  officers,  and  handed  Paul  a 
note,  laughing  as  though  he  regarded  the  honors  paid 
to  a  flag-officer  as  a  stupendous  joke. 

"  Thank  you,  Charley ;  we  will  be  boys  now,  if 
you  please,"  replied  Paul,  as  he  opened  the  note  and 
read, — 

"  MY  DEAR  CAPTAIN  KENDALL  :  To  save  the 
time  and  trouble  of  drawing  a  lot  for  one  hand,  I  have 
concluded  to  send  you  a  new  scholar ;  but  he  claims 
to  be  a  thorough  sailor,  and  to  know  all  the  ropes  in 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WAT.ES.     163 

the  ship,  besides  having  other  accomplishments,  which 
will  doubtless  be  developed  in  due  time. 
Truly  yours, 

R.  LOWINGTON." 

"  Where's  the  new  hand?  "  called  he  to  one  of  the 
masters.  "  Send  him  aft." 

The  new  hand  was  conducted  into  the  august  pres 
ence  of  the  flag-officer  and  the  captain.  He  was  a  tall, 
thin  young  man  of  seventeen,  with  an  incipient  mus~ 
tache  on  his  upper  lip,  and  an  eye-glass  suspended  upon 
the  bridge  of  his  nose. 

"Why,  Ben  Duncan!"  exclaimed  Paul,  forgetting 
for  the  moment  the  dignity  of  his  exalted  position,  and 
grasping  the  hand  of  the  new  scholar. 

"  I  am  delighted  to  see  you,  Paul,"  replied  the  new 
hand.  "  I  was  sadly  disappointed  when  I  went  on 
board  of  the  ship  to  find  you  were  no  longer  in  her. 
I  suppose  Mr.  Lowington  sent  me  here,  though,  to 
oblige  you  rather  than  me,  for  I  find  the  discipline  is 
very  strict." 

"  It  is  quite  as  strict  in  the  Josephine  as  in  the 
Young  America,"  laughed  Paul. 

Duncan  belonged  to  New  York  city,  and  had  been 
a  schoolmate  and  friend  of  Paul  at  an  academy  in 
Ohio. 

"I  must  return  to  the  ship,  Captain  Kendall,"  said 
Gordon  ;  "  and  I'll  trouble  you  for  a  boat.  I  only 
came  on  board  this  time  to  introduce  the  professors." 

"  Come  again,  Charley,"  replied  Paul.  "  I  want 
you  on  board  when  we  sail." 

"Thank  you.  I'll  hoist  my  flag  on  board  some 
"day,"  laughed  Gordon. 


164  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Man  the  side  !  "  shouted  Paul. 

"  Confound  the  side  !  "  added  the  flag-officer,  as  the 
captain  escorted  him  to  the  lines  of  side  boys,  and 
politely  bowed  him  out  of  the  schooner. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Ben,"  continued  Paul,  as  he 
turned  again  to  the  new  hand.  "  I  had  no  idea  that 
you  were  coming." 

u  I  teased  my  father,  till  at  last  he  consented,  very 
much  against  my  mother's  wishes.  This  is  a  fine 
little  vessel  you  have,  Paul." 

"  Splendid,  Ben  !  I  am  sorry  you  did  not  join  the 
academy  before." 

"  I  should  if  I  had  had  my  own  way." 

"  You  must  work  your  way  up,  as  the  rest  of  us 
have,  for  you  can  only  be  a  common  seaman  now." 

"  I  suppose  not,"  sighed  Duncan.  "  My  father  kept 
a  yacht,  and  I  have  sailed  in  her  a  great  deal,  so  that 
I  know  all  about  a  vessel.  I  suppose  there  is  a  great 
gulf  between  us  now." 

"  There  is  considerable  difference  between  a  seaman 
and  a  captain,  but  the  offices  are  open  to  all  who  will 
win  them  by  hard  work  and  good  behavior.  You  are 
a  fine  scholar,  and  your  chances  are  good.  The  first 
lieutenant  will  now  give  you  your  berth,  and  station 
you." 

The  new  seaman  was  handed  over  to  the  first  lieu 
tenant  ;  but  before  he  had  disappeared  in  the  steerage, 
some  fellow  called  him  "  Specksy,"  on  account  of  his 
glasses,  and  the  name  clung  to  him.  After  he  had 
been  berthed  and  stationed,  all  hands  were  mustered 
for  practice.  Duncan  took  his  place,  and  so  did 
McLeish,  the  former  being  at  the  outhaul  of  the  fore- 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        165 

sail  and  the  foretop-gallant-sheets,  and  the  latter  at  the 
throat  halyard  of  the  mainsail  and  at  the  weather  top 
sail  brace. 

"  Sheet  home  and  hoist  away !  "  shouted  the  first 
lieutenant,  in  the  course  of  the  exercise,  when  the 
topsails  were  set. 

"  Mind  your  eye,  Specksy  ! "  said  Templeton,  as 
Duncan  did  not  move. 

"  Foretop-gallant-sheets  !  "  shouted  Pelham,  on  the 
forecastle. 

Duncan  had  read  this  term  on  his  station  bill,  and 
he  leaped  into  the  rigging,  and  was  half  way  up  the 
fore  shrouds  before  he  could  be  stopped. 

"  Avast  there,  Specksy  !  "  cried  the  boys  ;  and  every 
body  laughed  at  the  misdirected  zeal  of  the  new  hand. 

"  Duncan,"  Pelham  called  to  him,  "  lay  down  !  " 

Duncan  descended,  and  stretched  himself  on  the 
deck  at  full  length,  achieving  the  manoeuvre  with  the 
celerity  of  a  cat,  amid  the  most  tumultuous  roars  of 
laughter. 

"  What  are  you  doing?"  demanded  Pelham,  almost 
choked  with  laughing. 

"  You  told  me  to  lie  down,"  replied  Duncan. 

"  No,  I  didn't ;  I  told  you  to  lay  down,  which  means 
come  down." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  replied  the  new  hand,  good- 
naturedly.  "  The  principal  made  us  a  speech  yester 
day  on  board  of  the  ship,  in  which  he  admonished  us 
all  to  yield  an  unquestioning  obedience  to  the  com- 
mands  of  a  superior  officer,  even  if  we  did  not  know 
the  purpose  of  the  order," 

"  What  were  you  going  aloft  for?'1  asked  Pelham. 


l66  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I  am  on  the  foretop-gallant-sheets,"  replied  he. 

"  Then  I  think  you  had  better  keep  off  of  them. 
Where  do  you  expect  to  find  the  top-gallant-sheets?" 

"  On  the  foretop-gallant-sail,  I  supposed." 

"  We  don't  usually  go  aloft  to  sheet  home." 

"  O,  don't  you  !  "  exclaimed  Duncan,  as  if  surprised 
that  they  did  not. 

"  I  thought  you  said  you  knew  all  about  a  vessel," 
interposed  the  captain,  laughing  at  the  blunders  and 
the  coolness  of  the  new  hand. 

"  So  I  do,  Captain  Kendall,"  replied  Duncan,  blandly ; 
*'  but  the  vessels  with  which  I  have  had  to  do,  did  not 
carry  any  topsails  or  top-gallant-sails.  I  am  acquainted 
with  the  nomenclature  of  the  jib,  foresail,  and  main 
sail,  and  I  am  on  familiar  terms  with  the  halyards, 
tack  and  outhaul  of  a  gaff-topsail ;  but  above  and  be 
yond  that  my  knowledge  does  not  extend." 

"Ah!  then  we  will  instruct  you,"  added  the  cap 
tain. 

"  Thank  you ;  I  shall  be  under  obligations  for  any 
information  you  or  your  officers  may  impart  to  me." 

"  Mr.  Pelham  will  give  you  the  information  you 
need,"  said  Paul,  as  he  went  aft  again,  choking  with 
laughter  at  the  grandiloquent  speech  of  his  friend. 

"  Mr.  Pelham,  I  am  your  most  obedient  servant," 
added  Duncan. 

"  Specksy  's  a  brick,"  said  Templeton. 

"Allow  me  to  insinuate,  in  the  most  unaffected  man 
ner,  that  the  foretop-gallant-sheets  lead  down  the  fore 
mast,  and  are  belayed  at  the  fife-rail." 

"  I  am  under  obligations  to  you  for  this  lucid  ex 
planation,  Mr.  Pelham.  If  I  may  trouble  you  to 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       167 

introduce  me  to  the  fife-rail,  I  shdll  know  it  when  I 
see  it." 

"  This  is  the  fife-rail." 

"  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  the  information." 

"  When  the  order  is  given,  '  Sheet  home,  and  hoist 
away  ! '  you  will  pull  away  on  the  sheet  till  it  comes 
home." 

"  Home  —  at  the  end  of  the  voyage  ?  " 

"  By  no  means  ;  till  you  have  hauled  the  corner  of 
the  sail  down  to  the  end  of  the  yard  ;  or  as  long  as 
you  can  get  anything  by  hauling." 

"  I  will  not  fail  to  do  so,"  replied  Duncan,  politely 
touching  his  cap  to  the  second  master,  and  then  seiz 
ing  the  rope. 

"  Attention,  all  hands  !  "  shouted  the  first  lieutenant, 
through  his  trumpet.  "  Sheet  home,  and  hoist 
away ! " 

Duncan  pulled  on  his  sheet  till  the  corner  came 
home  and  the  topgallant-yard  went  up  to  its  place. 
The  sails  were  taken  in,  and  then  set  again,  and  the 
new  hand  proved  that  he  was  an  apt  scholar.  When 
the  drill  was  finished,  the  ship's  company  were  called 
together  in  the  waist,  and  the  proposed  visit  to  Chester 
was  announced.  An  allowance  of  two  shillings  was 
paid  to  each  student.  An  early  dinner  was  taken,  as 
the  train  left  Birkenhead  at  ten  minutes  before  one. 
That  evening,  after  the  return  of  the  excursion,  Paul 
wrote  an  account  of  the  trip  in  a  letter  to  Grace, 
which  wre  shall  transcribe,  as  much  to  assure  the 
reader  that  Paul  did  not  put  any  soft  nonsense  into 
the  epistle,  as  to  inform  him  what  the  party  saw  in 
Chester. 


l68  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  DEAR  Miss  ARBUCKLE  :  As  I  have  a  state-room 
all  to  myself  now,  you  will  find  that  I  keep  my  prom- 
ise  rapidly,  for  I  can  write  without  interruption.  After 
you  left  this  morning,  the  two  new  professors  came  on 
board  of  the  Josephine.  One  of  them  is  as  thin  as  the 
fore  royal-mast  of  the  ship,  and  as  stiff  as  the  main 
mast.  He  has  not  been  seen  to  laugh  yet,  though  lots 
of  funny  things  have  happened.  The  other  is  so  fat 
that  he  jars  about  like  a  form  of  jelly,  and  he  is  as  jolly 
as  he  is  fat. 

"All  hands  went  to  Chester  this  afternoon  —  all  but 
McLeish,  Grossbeck,  and  Lynch,  for  I  must  keep  up 
my  dignity  by  punishing  them  a  little.  If  I  don't,  the 
discipline  of  the  Josephine  will  go  to  the  dogs,  and  I 
shall  wear  my  two  anchors  in  vain.  If  they  take  it 
kindly  this  time,  I  shall  punish  them  no  more.  So 
far,  McLeish  has  done  splendidly,  and  is  doing  honor 
to  the  fair  reformer  who  converted  him.  Almost  any 
fellow  would  mend  his  ways  with  such  an  advocate. 

"  We  landed  in  the  boats  at  Birkenhead.  This  place 
has  grown  almost  as  fast  as  some  of  our  American 
cities  —  not  quite.  In  thirty  years  it  has  increased 
from  an  insignificant  village  with  only  twenty-six  hun 
dred  people,  to  a  city  with  fifty-two  thousand.  Dr. 
Winstock  told  me  this,  as  we  marched  up  the  street, 
or  I  shouldn't  have  known  anything  about  it ;  and 
aware  how  much  you  are  in  love  with  statistics —  [At 
this  point  Paul  wrote,  'I  wish  I  were  statistics,'  but  his 
conscience  smote  him,  and  as  the  words  were  at  the 
top  of  a  new  page,  he  tore  it  off',  and  omitted  the  auda 
cious  phrase.]  It  has  any  quantity  of  docks,  and  they 
say  it  vvill  some  time  rival  its  neighbor  on  the  opposite 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES,     169 

side  of  the  river.  I  don't  think  that  will  be  till  they 
get  a  couple  of  dozen  of  Yankee  ferry-boats  to  con 
nect  the  two  cities. 

"  To  be  candid,  when  I  saw  the  ferry-boats  that  ply 
•between  Liverpool  and  Birkenhead,  I  was  ashamed  to 
own  that  my  ancestors  came  from  England.  I  wish 
you  could  see  one  of  the  ferry-boats  that  run  from 
New  York  to  Jersey  City  or  to  Brooklyn.  These 
Birkenhead  ferry-boats  are  little  old  tubs  of  steamers, 
just  like  any  other  boat,  and  not  at  all  adapted  to  the 
purpose. 

"  We  went  to  Chester,  and  as  this  was  the  first  time 
I  had  seen  the  green  fields  of  England,  I  looked  with 
all  my  eyes.  It  is  a  fine  country,  not  very  different 
from  the  north  of  Ireland.  After  riding  fifteen  miles, 
we  arrived  at  Chester,  which,  you  know,  is  a  very  old 
city,  and  it  looks  as  musty  as  my  grandmother's  house 
in  New  Hampshire.  The  Romans  founded  the  city — 
though  it  has  been  founded  two  or  three  times  since, 
and  its  Roman  name  was  Deva,  or  '  the  city  on  the 
Dee.'  It  was  rather  inspiring  to  think  that  the  regular 
old  Romans  had  walked  about  on  the  ground,  and  it 
seemed  to  bring  my  Virgil  and  Sallust  nearer  home 
to  me. 

"  When  the  Roman  legions  left  the  city,  the  Saxons, 
the  Northmen,  and  the  Danes  destroyed  it  several  times 
William  the  Conqueror  gave  the  city  to  a  fellow  whose 
name  I  don't  remember,  with  permission  to  add  as 
much  more  to  it  as  he  could  win  from  the  Welsh.  He 
was  called  the  Earl  Palatine  ;  and  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion,  after  mature  deliberation,  that  he  built  the 
castle,  though  it  has  been  built  over  again  within  a 
15 


I7O  RED    CROSS,    OR 

hundred  years  or  so.  If  he  didn't  build  it,  \\ho  didi 
Henry  III.  wiped  put  the  Earl  Palatine,  and  annexed 
the  earldom  to  the  crown,  which  was  very  obliging 
and  disinterested  of  him.  The  Prince  of  Wales  is 
now  Earl  of  Chester,  as  well  as  Baron  of  Renfrew,* 
Duke  of  Lancaster,  Duke  of  Cornwall,  and  I  know 
not  what  else. 

"  Chester  certainly  looks  like  a  very  old  city.  It 
has  a  kind  of  crumbling  look.  The  houses  are  very 
odd,  and  have  porticos  extending  over  the  sidewalk, 
under  which  people  travel.  The  place  is  a  walled 
town.  I  have  heard  about  such  things,  but  never  saw 
one  before.  This  wall  goes  entirely  round  the  city, 
and  we  walked  about  two  miles  on  it.  It  is  from 
twelve  to  forty  feet  high  ;  but  as  the  town  became  too 
small  for  the  people,  or  the  people  too  many  for  the 
town,  they  built  houses  outside  of  the  walls.  There 
are  some  towers  on  this  wall,  from  one  of  which 
Charles  I.  saw  his  army  defeated  by  the  Roundheads, 
which,  our  guide  said,  did  not  make  him  feel  good. 
We  were  shown  some  stone  work  of  the  Romans, 
which  proved  that  they  were  good  masons,  or  their 
work  would  not  have  lasted  so  long. 

"  The  cathedral  is  the  great  object  of  interest  in 
Chester.  It  is  only  about  three  or  four  hundred  years 
old,  —  that  is  not  much,  —  but  it  is  built  of  soft  stone, 
which  crumbles  away,  and  makes  it  look  older  than  it 
is.  My  friend  Ben  Duncan,  who  is  a  poet,  went  into 
ecstasies  over  it,  and  said  it  was  worth  crossing  the 
Atlantic  to  see.  If  it  is,  I  am  glad  he  came. 

"  We  also  went  to  St.  John's  Church  and  St.  Peter's 
Church,  and  then  through  the  castle.  There  is  a  bridge 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.         I'Jl 

over  the  Dee  here,  with  a  span  of  two  hundred  feet, 
which  the  Romans  did  not  build.  As  we  all  wanted 
to  see  how  a  great  lord  lives,  we  walked  out  to  Eaton 
Hall,  three  miles  from  Chester,  to  the  residence  of  the 
Marquis  of  Westminster.  We  had  to  procure  tickets 
to  get  into  it,  and  Mr.  Lowington  bought  them  of  the 
landlord  of  the  Royal  Hotel.  There  is  more  sense  in 
charging  an  admission  fee  in  this  case  than  in  many 
others,  for  I  suppose  the  poor  marquis  would  be  over 
run  with  people  if  he  did  not  put  the  shilling  stopper 
on  them  ;  and  besides,  the  money  is  given  to  the  poor. 
We  walked  nearly  all  the  way  through  the  park,  which 
is  covered  with  fine  trees,  till  we  came  to  the  Hall,  a 
splendid  building,  in  Gothic  style,  said  to  be  the  finest 
dwelling-house  in  England  —  not  having  seen  them 
all,  I  can't  say.  It  is  fitted  up  on  a  grand  scale,  with 
lofty  rooms,  fit  for  a  palace,  I  should  judge.  I  should 
think  the  marquis  could  keep  comfortable,  and  have 
room  to  turn  round  without  knocking  anybody  over. 
There  are  some  fine  pictures  in  the  chapel,  dining- 
room  and  drawing-room  —  Duncan  almost  had  a  fit 
over  them.  I  liked  the  two  by  Benjamin  West  the 
best  —  he  was  an  American,  you  know. 

"  The  Chester  railway  station  is  a  big  thing.  I 
never  saw  anything  equal  to  it  in  the  United  States, 
and  that  is  confessing  a  great  deal.  America  is  a 
great  country,  and  if  we  could  import  two  or  three 
of  those  Roman  stations,  and  transport  a  few  spare 
cathedrals,  Englishmen  would  think  as  much  again 
of  it. 

"  We  returned  to  Birkenhead  about  eight  o'clock. 
I  have  only  room  to  add,  that  the  boatswain  says 


172  RED    CROSS,    OR 

McLeish  has  behaved  handsomely,  and  does  not 
grumble  because  he  was  deprived  of  his  liberty. 
That  settles  the  case  with  him,  and  to-morrow  he 
shall  go  to  Manchester  with  us.  Remember  me 
kindly  to  your  father  and  mother,  and  believe  me 
ever 

Your  sincere  friend, 


PAUL  KENDALL." 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.      173 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE    NEW    HAND. 

ON  Thursday  an  excursion  was  made  by  all  hands 
to  Manchester,  the  great  cotton  manufacturing 
city  of  England.  It  is  situated  on  the  Irwell,  a  branch 
of  the  Mersey,  and  with  Salford,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river,  has  a  population  of  nearly  four  hundred 
seventy-two  thousand,  which  gives  it  the  third  rank 
among  the  cities  of  the  United  Kingdom.  Without 
Salford,  it  ranks  as  the  fourth,  Glasgow  being  the 
third.  At  first  its  manufactures  were  of  woollen  fab 
ric  ;  but  during  the  last  hundred  years,  cotton  has  su 
perseded  it.  It  was  not  till  the  raw  material  was 
obtained  in  such  vast  quantities  from  the  United 
States,  that  Manchester  obtained  its  importance. 
The  invention  of  a  Connecticut  Yankee,  Eli  Whit 
ney,  who  furnished  a  machine  for  separating  the  seeds 
from  the  cotton,  thus  rendering  the  production  of  the 
article  practicable  and  profitable,  was  the  foundation 
of  the  growth  of  the  city. 

Manchester  also  contains  immense  manufactories 
of  iron,  and  is  located  in  the  midst  of  a  coal  region. 
It  is  thirty-one  miles  from  Liverpool,  upon  which  it 
depends  for  its  supply  of  cotton.  There  are  six  rail 
roads  diverging  from  the  city,  as  well  as  several  canals. 

'** 


174  RED    CROSS,    OR 

The  students  divided  into  parties,  and  explored  the 
city  as  much  as  they  could  in  the  brief  period  allowed 
for  the  purpose.  McLeish,  agreeably  to  Captain  Ken 
dall's  promise  to  Grace  Arbuckle,  was  a  member  of 
the  party  ;  and  so  far  as  the  officers  were  able  to  ob 
serve  his  conduct,  he  behaved  with  the  utmost  pro 
priety  and  discretion.  Dr.  Win  stock  had  a  letter  of 
introduction  to  Mr.  Murdock,  a  wealthy  mill-owner  in 
the  city,  which  procured  for  him  and  his  friends  the 
privilege  of  going  through  one  of  the  immense  cotton 
factories.  When  Captain  Kendall  was  presented  to 
Mr.  Murdock,  the  gentleman  seemed  to  be  greatly 
amused  at  Paul's  "  fine  feathers,"  as  he  called  them, 
alluding  to  his  shoulder-straps,  sleeve-bands,  and  the 
gold  lace  on  his  cap ;  but  the  dignity  and  self-posses 
sion  of  the  young  commander  carried  him  through 
the  interview,  and  won  the  respect  of  the  mill-owner. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  it  all?"  asked  Mr.  Mur- 
.dock  of  the  surgeon  as  they  were  walking  over  to  the 
mill  they  were  to  visit.  "  Upon  my  life,  these  young 
gentlemen  swell  up  like  lords  of  the  admiralty.  Are 
they  sailors,  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  Captain  Kendall  is  commander  of  the  Josephine," 
replied  the  doctor ;  "  and  I  assure  you  he  is  not  only  a 
gentleman,  but  he  is  a  better  officer  and  seaman  than 
one  half  the  men  who  go  in  command  of  vessels." 

Dr.  Winstock  explained  the  system  of  the  Academy 
Ship  and  her  consort,  which  strongly  excited  the 
interest  of  the  English  gentleman,  and  he  asked  a 
great  many  questions.  The  doctor  answered  them 
all,  and  described  the  voyage  of  the  Josephine  to 
Belfast. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       175 

"  But  is  it  possible  the  young  man  took  the  vessel  to 
Belfast  alone  ?"  asked  Mr.  Murdoch,  who  did  not  live 
by  the  sea,  and  his  wonder  was  correspondingly  in 
creased. 

"  Certainly  he  did.  I  should  be  entirely  willing  to 
cross  the  Atlantic,  or  even  go  round  the  world,  in  a 
ship  under  his  charge." 

Mr.  Murdock  was  veiy  attentive  and  respectful  to 
Paul  after  this  conversation.  The  mill  was  explored, 
and  the  party,  by  urgent  invitation,  went  to  the  house 
of  the  proprietor,  who  insisted  upon  giving  them  some 
refreshment.  They  were  presently  ushered .  into  an 
elegant  and  spacious  dining-room,  and  after  an  in 
troduction  to  the  gentleman's  family,  partook  of  the 
lunch.  Their,  host  had  a  son  of  sixteen,  who  ap 
peared  to  regard  the  young  officers  with  great  interest, 
and  bestowed  much  attention  upon  them. 

"  Have  a  glass  of  sherry,  Captain  Kendall,"  said 
Spenser  Murdock,  filling  a  couple  of  glasses. 

"  You  must  excuse  me,"  replied  Paul,  pleasantly ; 
'"  I  never  drink  wine  ;  we  are  not  allowed  to  take  it." 

"Ah!  teetotalers  —  are  you?"  laughed  the  j-oung 
man,  as  he  drained  the  glass  without  a  rebuke,  or  even 
a  question,  from  his  father. 

Mr.  Murdock  then  proposed  to  drink  the  health  of 
Captain  Kendall ;  but  the  doctor  interposed,  and  ex 
plained  the  rules  to  which  the  ship's  company  were 
subjected.  Spenser  conducted  the  young  officers  to 
the  drawing-room,  where  one  of  the  ladies  sang  and 
played  for  them,  leaving  Dr.  Winstock  with  the  host 
in  the  dining-room. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  a  great  deal  about  your  in- 


17"  RED    CROSS,    OR 

stitution,  Dr.  Winstock,"  said  the  host.  "  It  seems  to 
me  to  be  really  a  very  fine  thing  to  give  health  and 
vigor,  as  well  as  a  good  education,  to  our  young 
men." 

"  It  has  been  very  successful  thus  far,"  added  the 
surgeon. 

"  You  will  be  in  Europe  a  year  or  two,  I  dare 
say." 

"  A  year,  at  least ;  perhaps  two  years." 

"  There  is  that  son  of  mine  —  he  is  not  a  bad  boy, 
but  he  has  given  me  a  deal  of  trouble.  Is  it  possible 
for  him  to  be  entered  in  your  Academy  Ship  ?  " 

"  I  am  unable  to  say,  sir." 

"  Spenser  isn't  a  bad  boy,"  repeated  Mr.  Murdock  ; 
"  he's  only  wild." 

"  That's  the  case  with  most  of  our  boys,"  laughed 
the  doctor,  who  thought  it  quite  probable  that  Mr 
Spenser  Murdock  was  another  McLeish  ;  for  fathers 
and  mothers  find  it  hard  to  believe  that  their  own  sons 
are  ever  bad  boys. 

"  I  sent  him  to  Rugby  ;  but  the  rules  were  so  strict 
there,  the  poor  boy  could  not  stand  it.  Then  I  had  a 
private  teacher  for  him  ;  but  he  walloped  his  tutor  one 
day  when  they  had  a  difference,"  laughed  the  father, 
who  seemed  to  think  this  was  to  the  boy's  credit. 

"  I  fear  our  discipline  would  be  too  strict  for  the 
young  man,"  suggested  Dr.  Winstock. 

"  Perhaps  so  ;  but  you  have  so  much  excitement  in 
going  from  place  to  place,  and  knocking  about  the  sea, 
that  there  is  always  something  to  interest  the  boy.  I 
hope  you  understand  my  meaning.  Spenser  is  not  a 
bad  bay ;  he  has  a  good  heart,  but  he  has  given 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES         177 

me  a  deal  of  uneasiness.  A  few  weeks  ago  the  lad 
broke  into  the  counting-room  of  the  mill,  and  took 
fifty  pounds  from  the  drawer  ;  but  it  was  only  done  for 
the  fun  of  the  thing.  The  poor  boy  has  plenty  of 
money  ;  indeed,  he  gave  the  half  of  what  he  took  to 
a  miserable  fellow  who  was  distrained  for  his  rent. 
He  has  a  good  heart,  the  lad  has  ;  but  he  is  wild." 

The  surgeon  thought  he  must  be  wild ;  and  he  took 
the  liberty  to  hint  that  Spenser  was  spoiled  by  over 
indulgence. 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  am  quite  strict  with  him,"  protested 
the  father.  "  I  don't  permit  him  to  be  out  of  the 
house* after  twelve  at  night,  and  I  allow  him  only 
twenty  pounds  a  month  for  pocket  money.  I  in 
creased  it  from  ten  to  twenty  pounds  after  he  broke 
into  the  counting-room,  to  keep  him  from  indulging 
in  such  wild  freaks." 

"And  I  suppose,  if  he  should  break  into  your 
counting-room  again,  you  would  raise  it  from  twenty 
to  forty  pounds,"  laughed  Dr.  Winstock. 

"  Possibly  not.  I  told  him  his  conduct  was  dishon 
orable  and  disgraceful,  unworthy  the  character  of  a 
gentleman." 

"  Did  you  tell  him  it  was  immoral  and  criminal?" 

"  No,  I  didn't  tell  him  that.  You  see  the  lad  only 
did  it  for  fun,  as  a  mere  freak,  and  I  did  not  wish 
to  injure  his  self-respect." 

On  all  other  topics  Mr.  Murdock  was  a  sensible 
man.  He  controlled  his  mill  with  judgment  and  skill, 
and  governed  his  operatives  with  stern  decision.  If 
a  poor  girl  stole  half  a  pound  of  raw  cotton,  she  was 
at  least  discharged.  It  was  not  regarded  as  a  "  freak  " 


178  RED    CROSS,    OR 

on  her  part.  Dr.  Winstock  was  grateful  to  his  host 
for  his  kindness,  and  invited  him  to  visit  the  ship  at 
her  moorings  in  the  Mersey  ;  and  the  invitation  was 
eagerly  accepted. 

The  excursion  party  returned  to  Liverpool,  and 
went  on  board  of  the  vessels.  The  next  morning, 
the  classes  were  organized,  and  the  regular  studies 
pursued.  In  the  forenoon,  Mr.  Murdock  and  his  son 
visited  the  ship,  and  both  of  them  were  delighted  with 
everything  they  saw.  Mr.  Lowington  explained  the 
operation  of  his  system,  and  invited  the  guests  to  visit 
the  Josephine  after  dinner. 

"  I  fear  the  discipline  of  the  ship  would  not  suit 
your  son,"  said  the  principal,  when  the  guest  had  ap 
plied  for  Spenser's  admission. 

"  He  seems  to  be  delighted  with  everything  he 
sees,"  added  Mr.  Murdock. 

"  To  oblige  a  friend  in  Greenock,  I  took  his  son  ,3n 
board.  The  young  man  has  seen  a  great  deal  of 
trouble,  and  spent  most  of  his  time  in  the  brig." 

"  The  brig !     What  is  that,  sii  ?  " 

"  The  ship's  prison." 

"  A  prison ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Murdock,  exhibiting 
some  alarm. 

"A  place  of  confinement.  Of  course  we  do  not 
have  stone  walls  on  board  a  vessel.  But  I  am  happy 
to  say  that  the  lad  I  mention  is  now  doing  well." 

When  the  session  of  the  school  was  closed,  the 
brig  was  exhibited  to  the  guests.  Wilton  and  Monroe 
were  still  its  occupants.  Mr.  Murdock  did  not  like 
the  looks  of  the  place.  He  thought  it  would  be  de 
grading  to  be  committed  to  the  prison,  and  damage 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       179 

the  self-respect  of  the  prisoner.  Mr.  Lowington  re 
garded  the  culprit's  evil  deeds  as  more  degrading  than 
the  punishment,  and  insisted  that  discipline  should  be 
vindicated,  that  the  self-respect  of  others  might  not 
be  damaged. 

Mr.  Murdock  dined  with  the  faculty,  and  Spenser 
with  the  officers  in  the  after  cabin.  As  McLeish  had 
thought  when  he  was  a  passenger,  it  was  all  very 
fine,  and  the  English  boy  was  quite  as  anxious  as  the 
Scotch  lad  had  been  to  be  enrolled  among  the  stu 
dents.  The  principal  did  not  wish  to  receive  him  ; 
there  had  been  trouble  enough  with  McLeish.  The 
barge  was  ordered  to  the  gangway  to  convey  the 
guests  to  the  Josephine,  and  they  were  received  by 
Paul,  who  with  pride  and  pleasure  exhibited  the  ves 
sel  to  them. 

"  Mr.  Murdock,  we  sail  for  Whitehaven  this  after 
noon,"  said  the  principal.  "  I  should  be  happy  to 
have  you  accompany  us." 

"  I  should  be  delighted  to  do  so  !  "  exclaimed  the 
guest. 

"  You  can  return  by  railway  at  your  own  pleasure." 

"  Thank  you.  I  am  so  interested  in  your  institu 
tion,  that  I  cannot  deny  myself  the  satisfaction '  of 
seeing  more  of  it.  We  must  have  something  of  this 
kind  in  England." 

"  I  am  glad  that  the  idea  meets  with  your  approba 
tion." 

"  Unless  I  can  prevail  upon  you  to  receive  my  son, 
I  shall  attempt  to  get  up  an  Academy  Ship  at  Liver 
pool." 

"  Then  perhaps  it  would  be  better  for  me  to  decline 


io  RED    CROSS,    OR 

your  application.  You  may  not  think  so  well  of  the 
plan  after  you  have  seen  more  of  it,  for  I  assure  you 
it  is  not  all  sunshine.  These  young  men  are  generally 
the  sons  of  wealthy  people,  and  many  of  them  have 
acquired  bad  habits  by  the  indulgence  of  their  par 
ents." 

"  Doubtless,"  added  Mr.  Murdock,  rather  coldly. 

"  Some  of  them  require  severe  discipline." 

"  But  this  vessel,  you  tell  me,  is  controlled  by  the 
boys,"  added  Mr.  Murdock,  glancing  at  Paul,  who 
stood  near  talking  with  Spenser. 

"  This  is  an  experiment ;  but  Captain  Kendall  is 
really  in  command  of  her,  though  he  may  call  upon 
me  for  help  if  he  requires  it.  Now,  sir,  you  and  your 
son  may  take  passage  in  the  Josephine,  or  in  the 
Young  America,  as  your  prefer." 

"  If  you  please,  Mr.  Lowington,  we  will  go  in  the 
small  vessel.  Do  you  think  it  entirely  safe  ?  " 

"  If  I  did  not,  I  should  not  permit  the  young  gen 
tlemen  to  handle  her,"  laughed  the  principal. 

"  Then  I  will  go  in  her,  for  I  am  anxious  to  see  the 
young  captain  handle  his  vessel." 

Mr.  Lowington  returned  to  the  ship,  leaving  his 
guests  and  the  surgeon,  who  had  decided  to  go  in  the 
Josephine,  on  board.  In  half  an  hour  the  signal  for 
getting  ready  to  sail  was  hoisted  on  board  of  the  ship. 
The  boatswain's  whistle  sounded,  and  all  hands  sprang 
to  their  stations.  The  sails  were  shaken  out,  the  an 
chor  hove  short,  and  the  pilot  came  on  board. 

Mr.  Murdock  and  his  son  were  filled  with  aston 
ishment  and  delight  as  they  witnessed  these  evolutions 
of  seamanship. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.     l8l 

"  I  must  certainly  join  this  vessel,"  said  Spenser  to 
his  father. 

"Could  you  endure  the  discipline?" 

"  It  would  be  fun,"  replied  the  young  gentleman, 
with  enthusiasm. 

"  Would  you  like  to  pull  those  ropes?" 

"  I  would  ;  I  should  enjoy  it." 

"  Or  be  sent  up  where  those  lads  are?"  added  Mr. 
Mui'dock,  pointing  to  the  seamen  on  the  top-gallant 
yard. 

"  That  would  be  the  best  part  of  it." 

"  You  can't  be  an  officer,  you  know,  and  live  in  the 
cabin." 

"  I  would  rather  be  a  seaman." 

"  That  would  make  you  an  inferior,  and  you  must 
obey  the  orders  givfin  you." 

"  I  could  do  that." 

"  And  when  you  go  on  shore,  only  a  couple  of  shil 
lings  or  so  would  be  allowed  for  pocket  money." 

"  But  I  can  have  my  own  money." 

"  No  ;  your  money  would  all  be  taken  from  you,  and 
doled  out  to  you  in  shillings."  > 

"  I  should'nt  like  that,  but  I  could  endure  it,  if  the 
rest  do  ;  though  I  don't  think  I  should  be  without  money 
a  great  while,"  added  the  hopeful  young  gentleman, 
significantly.  "  I  have  been  talking  with  some  of  the 
lads,  and  I  think  they  understand  the  matter." 

"  But  you  must  do  your  duty  if  you  join,  and  you 
may  be  captain,  or  something  of  that  sort." 

"  I  intend  to  do  my  duty  ;  but  there  can  be  no  harm 
in  having  my  spending  money." 

"  They  take  it  from  you  when  you  join." 
16 


l82  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Let  them  ;  but  of  course  you  would  send  me  my 
allowance  every  month  in  a  letter." 

"  I  think  my  friend  Mr.  Lowington  is  needlessly 
strict  in  this  matter,"  added  the  father,  in  a  tone  which 
seemed  to  indorse  his  son's  idea  that  this  stringent 
regulation  might  be  evaded. 

"  Now  she  goes  !  "  exclaimed  Spenser,  as  the  jib  was 
run  up,  and  the  Josephine  swung  round.  "  I'll  never 
be  anything  but  a  sailor." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  change  your  mind  before  morn 
ing,"  said  Paul,  who  happened  to  come  near  enough 
to  hear  the  remark. 

"  O,  no  !  " 

"  Were  you  ever  at  sea  ?  " 

"  Never,  except  I  crossed  to  Dublin  once,  and  went 
in  a  steamer  from  Liverpool  to  Bristol ;  but  I  know  I 
should  like  it." 

"  Would  you  like  it  to  be  turned  out  of  your  berth 
in  a  dark  and  stormy  night,  and  then  be  sent  aloft  to 
reef  topsails?" 

"  I  think  it  would  be  fun." 

"  If  you  think  so,  probably  it  will  be,"  added  the 
captain,  who  always  put  a  cheerful  face  upon  hard  and 
disagreeable  work. 

The  Young  America  had  tripped  her  anchor  a  little 
before  the  Josephine,  and  went  down  the  river  ahead 
of  her.  It  was  evident  to  the  officers  of  the  schooner 
that  the  ship  was  not  as  well  handled  as  usual ;  but  this 
was  not  to  be  expected,  for  one  half  of  her  crew  were 
green  hands,  who  had  been  drilled  but  a  couple  of 
days,  and  did  not  know  the  difference  between  a  top 
mast  and  the  cook's  galley.  The  "  greenies,"  as  they 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IX    ENGLAND   AND   WALES.       183 

were  called  on  board,  had  been  mixed  in  with  the 
"  old  salts,"  so  that  there  was  always  an  experienced 
hand  near  to  tell  them  what  to  do. 

Off  the  entrance  to  Queen's  Channel,  the  pilots 
were  discharged,  and  the  two  vessels  headed  north  by 
east,  by  the  compass.  The  wind  was  moderate  from 
the  west-north-west,  and  the  ship  and  the  schooner 
went  off  close-hauled.  It  was  soon  evident  that  the 
Josephine  was  beating  her  consort,  and  could  easily 
go  a  point  closer  to  the  wind  while  the  Young  Amer 
ica's  topsails  were  almost  shaking. 

Anything  that  looked  like  a  race  produced  an  ex 
citement  on  board.  The  Josephine  carried  all  sail  as 
well  as  the  ship,  and  though  she  was  a  good  mile  astern 
when  the  course  was  given  out  off  the  Bell  Buoy,  in  an 
hour  she  was  within  hail  of  her. 

"  We  shall  pass  her,"  said  Terrill  to  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  pass  her,  but  go  to  leeward  of  her,"  replied 
Paul. 

"  We1  can  lay  a  point  closer,  and  easily  go  by  her  to 
windward." 

"  That  would  not  be  respectful.  We  must  not  take 
the  wind  out  of  the  flag-officer's  sails." 

"Why  don't  she  go  faster?"  asked  Spenser  Mur- 
dock. 

"  She  can't  when  she  is  close-hauled,"  replied  Paul. 
"  With  the  wind  on  her  quarter,  or  abeam,  she  is  a 
very  fast  sailer,  and  perhaps  would  beat  us." 

The  schooner  was  kept  away  a  little,  and  in  a  short 
time  passed  the  ship.  When  the  two  vessels  were 
abeam  of  each  other,  the  students  ran  up  into  the  rig 
ging  and  cheered  lustily. 


184  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Take  in  the  foretop-gallant-sail,  Mr.  Terrill,"  said 
Captain  Kendall,  when  the  Josephine  was  a  mile 
ahead  of  the  ship. 

"  What  is  that  for,  Captain  Kendall?  "  asked  Spen 
ser  Murdock. 

"I  don't  wish  to  run  away  from  the  ship,"  replied 
Paul. 

"  Man  the  foretop-gallant  clewlines  and  buntlines ! 
Stand  by  the  braces  !  "  shouted  the  first  lieutenant  when 
the  hands  had  been  piped. 

"  All  ready,  sir,"  reported  the  third  lieutenant. 

"  Clear  away  the  sheets  !   Clew  up  !  "  added  Terrill. 

The  sheets  by  which  the  corners  of  the  top-gallant- 
sail  were  hauled  down  to  the  end  of  the  topsail-yard 
were  let  go ;  the  corners  of  the  sail  were  then  hauled 
up  to  the  yard  by  the  clewlines,  and  the  middle,  or 
bunt,  of  the  sail  by  the  buntlines. 

"  Settle  away  the  topsail-halyards  !  "  continued  the 
executive  officer.  "  Square  away  !  " 

By  the  halyards  the  yard  was  lowered  down  on  the 
cap,  and  as  it  descended,  the  spar  was  hauled  round 
square  by  the  braces. 

"  Lay  aloft  and  furl  the  foretop-gallant-sail !  "  said 
Terrill ;  and  the  hands  who  were  stationed  on  the  top 
gallant-yard  went  aloft,  rolled  up  the  sail,  and  wound 
the  gaskets  around  it. 

As  the  schooner  seemed  to  be  still  gaining,  the  main 
gaff-topsail  was  taken  in,  and  then  the  flying-jib. 
Finally  the  foresail  was  lowered,  and  then  the  Young 
America  gained  rapidly  upon  her.  As  she  approached 
the  Josephine,  nine  cheers  were  given,  and  the  fore 
sail  was  reset.  With  the  foretop-gallant-sail,  gaff 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      185 

topsail,   and  flying-jib  furled,  the    speed  of  the  two 
ressels  was  about  equal. 

Paul  entertained  his  guests  handsomely  in  the  cabin, 
and  made  them  quite  at  home.  Spenser  Murdock 
was  seasick  in  the  evening,  and  was  obliged  to  turn  in 
at  an  early  hour,  in  spite  of  his  assertion  that  he  meant 
to  stay  on  deck  all  night,  and  see  how  the  vessel  was 
handled.  When  he  turned  out  in  the  morning,  there 
was  a  pilot  on  board,  and  the  Josephine  was  follow 
ing  the  Young  America  into  the  harbor  of  Whiteha- 
ven ;  and  in  due  time  both  of  them  were  moored  in 
the  second  basin. 

"  Perhaps  you  have  had  sea  enough,"  said  Paul  to 
the  younger  passenger,  when  he  had  given  the  order 
to  furl  everything.  "  People  who  are  sick  don't  like 
the  sea." 

"  But  I  like  it ;  I  dare  say  I  shouldn't  be  sick  again," 
replied  Spenser,  who  was  as  chipper  as  a  bird,  now 
that  the  ugly  motion  of  the  sea  had  ceased. 

"  Do  you  really  think  you  would  like  to  be  a  sailor?  " 

"  I  do  ;  I  know  I  should  ;  and  I'm  going  to  sea  at  all 
events.  If  your  principal  won't  take  me,  I  shall  run 
away  to  sea  on  my  own  account." 

"  Don't  do  that.  You  will  find  that  life  in  the  fore 
castle  of  a  ship,  to  one  who  has  lived  in  a  parlor,  as  you 
have,  will  be  as  bad  as  anything  can  be." 

"  I  dare  say  ;  but  I  hope  I  shall  be  permitted  to  join 
this  vessel." 

"Not  this  one;  if  Mr.  Lowington  receives  you,  it 
will  be  in  the  Young  America.  We  have  none  but 
old  sailors  here,"  added  Paul. 

"  It's  all  the  same  to  me." 
16* 


1 86  RED    CROSS,    OR 

The  gig  was  lowered,  and  sent  to  the  ship  with  Dr. 
Winstock  and  the  passengers.  Mr.  Murdock  renewed 
his  application  to  the  principal  on  behalf  of  his  son. 
He  was  even  more  anxious  than  at  first  to  procure  his 
admission,  for  he  had  been  strongly  impressed  by  the 
system  of  discipline  he  had  observed  in  the  squadron. 
The  appeal  was  successful  at  last,  and  Spenser  was 
delighted  beyond  measure  when  informed  that  he  had 
been  admitted.  He  was  in  haste  to  put  on  his  uni 
form,  and  commence  his  career  as  a  sailor. 

A  suit  of  clothes  was  served  out  to  him  by  one  of 
the  pursers,  berth  66  was  assigned  to  him,  and  he  was 
sent  below  to  make  the  change  in  his  dress.  A  sea 
man  pointed  out  his  quarters,  and  then  hastened  on 
deck,  where  all  hands  were  busy  observing  the  new 
scene  just  opened  to  them.  Spenser's  berth  was  in  the 
second  tier  from  the  cabin  bulkhead,  and  the  entrance 
was  directly  opposite  the  brig.  The  stewards  were 
preparing  the  tables  for  breakfast ;  but  there  was  no 
one  else  in  the  steerage. 

The  new  hand  made  haste  to  clothe  himself  in  his 
sea  togs  ;  and  when  he  had  done  so,  he  felt  as  smart  as 
though  he  had  just  donned  a  new  suit  from  London. 
He  went  out  into  the  passage-way,  and  surveyed  his 
person  in  the  small  looking-glass  which  hung  by  the 
bull's-eye.  He  looked  "  salt,"  and  felt  so.  Satisfied 
with  his  appearance,  he  picked  up  his  shore  suit,  and 
took  the  contents  of  the  pockets  from  them  before  ty 
ing  them  up  in  a  bundle.  His  monthly  allowance  had 
been  paid  to  him  a  few  days  before,  and  he  had  not 
yet  spent  any  of  it ;  he  even  had  two  sovereigns  and 
some  silver  left  from  the  previous  payment. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      187 

He  stood  in  the  passage-way  with  the  four  bank 
notes  and  the  specie  in  his  hand,  thinking  what  he 
should  do  with  them.  To  him  almost  the  only  disa 
greeable  thing  in  the  discipline  of  the  ship  was  being 
deprived  of  his  pocket  money.  He  had  talked  with 
several  of  the  crew  of  the  Josephine,  one  of  whom 
told  him  how  McLeish  had  managed ;  and  he  had 
decided  before  his  admission  to  save  his  funds,  espe 
cially  as  his  father  was  ready  to  "  wink  "  at  his  plan, 
and  even  supply  him  with  his  usual  allowance.  It 
would  not  do  for  him  to  say  he  had  no  money  when 
asked  by  the  principal,  for  he  believed  that  a  lie  was 
dishonorable,  rather  than  immoral,  and  was  to  be 
avoided  when  possible  without  the  sacrifice  of  too 
much  personal  comfort. 

While  he  was  trying  to  make  up  his  mind  whether 
to  put  the  notes  in  his  stocking,  as  McLeish  had  done, 
or  hide  them  in  the  berth,  he  became  conscious  that  a 
couple  of  pairs  of  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him.  Wilton 
and  Monroe  were  both  staring  at  him  between  the 
pales'  of  the  brig. 

"  I  say,  Greeny,"  called  Wilton,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  Whom  do  you  call  Greeny  ? "  demanded  Mur 
dock,  displeased  by  the  appellation. 

"  Hush  !  "  added  Wilton.     "  Come  over  here." 

The  new  hand  went  over  to  the  door  of  the  prison. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  calling  me  Greeny?"  he 
continued. 

"  That's  a  title  of  respect  we  give  to  new  fellows  — 
no  harm  intended.  How  are  you  off  for  stamps?  " 

"Stamps?" 

"Have  you  any  money?" 


1 88  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"I  have  —  twenty-two  pounds,  and  some  odd  sil 
ver.  What's  that  to  you?"  said  Murdock,  still  hold 
ing  his  money  in  his  hand. 

"  They'll  take  it  all  away  from  you,  and  that  will 
be  the  last  you  will  see  of  it,"  replied  Wilton. 

"  I  don't  want  to  give  it  up.  I'm  going  to  hide  it  in 
my  berth." 

"That's  played  out;  the  officers  will  search  your 
berth  after  you  have  put  everything  to  rights." 

"  I'll  put  it  in  my  stocking,  then." 

"  One  of  the  lambs  will  see  it  when  you  turn  in,  and 
blow  on  you." 

"Who  are  the  lambs?" 

"  The  lambs  of  the  chaplain's  fold." 

"  I  don't  understand  you." 

"  Those  that  feed  on  water  gruel  and  pipe  to  prayers 
twice  a  day  in  their  berths.  Give  me  the  money,  and 
I'll  take  care  of  it  for  you." 

"  You  !     What  are  you  in  there  for?" 

"  For  resistance  to  tyranny  ;  because  we  wouldn't 
stand  it  to  have  our  money  taken  from  us." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  That's  all.  Hush  !  some  one's  coming  down  to 
fish  your  trousers  pockets." 

"  Take  it  then,"  said  Murdock,  hastily,  as  he  thrust 
the  four  five-pound  notes  through  the  bars,  keeping 
back  the  specie. 

One  of  the  students  came  down  the  steps,  went  to 
his  berth  for  something,  and  then  returned  to  the  deck, 
followed  by  Murdock. 

"  Well,  he  is  a  Greeny,"  said  Wilton,  as  he  glanced 
at  the  bills  when  the  owner  had  gone. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       189 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    CONSPIRATORS    IN   THE    BRIG. 

HAVING  satisfactorily  disposed  of  the  young 
man  who  had  given  him  so  much  uneasiness, 
Mr.  Murdock  left  the  ship,  and  hastened  back  to  Man 
chester.  Probably  he  did  not  even  yet  suspect  that 
his  own  weak  indulgence  had  spoiled  the  boy  ;  but 
now  he  was  in  no  danger  of  breaking  into  the  count 
ing-room,  and  stealing  fifty  pounds  "  for  fun." 

"  Monroe,  it's  about  time  for  us  to  get  out  of  this 
place,"  said  Wilton,  after  Murdock  had  gone  on  deck, 
and  he  had  concealed  the  bank  notes  in  his  clothing. 

"  That's  what  I  have  been  saying  for  ten  days,"  re 
plied  Monroe. 

"  But  I'm  not  going  to  make  any  confessions,  or  beg 
anybody's  pardon,  as  Gus  Pelham  did." 

"  Then  you  may  stay  here  for  the  rest  of  the  cruise." 

"  I  can  get  out  of  this  place  any  time  when  I'm 
ready,"  added  Wilton,  compressing  his  lips,  and  shak* 
ing  his  head,  to  signify  both  his  decision  and  his  ability 
to  do  what  he  said. 

"  Why  don't  you  do  it,  then?" 

"  Because  I'm  not  ready.  I  don't  want  to  go  ashore 
without  any  money.  I've  got  some  now,  and  I'm  go 
ing  to  turn  my  attention  in  that  direction." 


IpO  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do?"  asked  Monroe, 
doubtfully. 

"  I'm  going  to  get  out  when  I'm  ready." 

"What's  the  use  of  talking?  You  can't  get  out ! "' 
sneered  Monroe,  who  had  not  much  confidence  in  the 
boasts  of  his  companion  in  confinement. 

"  Yes,  I  can." 

"How?" 

"  It's  easy  enough ;  but  I'm  going  to  pay  off  old 
Lowington,  for  keeping  me  here  so  long,  about  the 
time  I  take  my  leave 'of  the  ship." 

"  You  get  out !     I've  heard  you  brag  before." 

"  Brag !  Do  you  think  I  can't  do  what  I  say  I 
can?" 

"  I  do  think  so.  You  wouldn't  have  staid  in  here 
ten  days  if  you  could  have  got  out." 

"  I  told  you  I  wasn't  going  without  any  money," 
replied  Wilton,  impatiently.  "  Now  I  have  some 
money,  I'm  going  to  do  something." 

"You  don't  mean  to  use  that  spoony's  money  —  do 
you?" 

"  I'm  going  to  borrow  it  of  him  for  a  brief  period. 
I  haven't  any  doubt  there  is  money  for  you  and  me 
now  in  London.  When  we  get  it,  we  will  pay  off 
this  fellow." 

"Just  as  you  paid  that  twenty  pounds  you  borrowed 
from  the  safe  !  " 

"  See  here,  Ike  Monroe ;  if  you  say  another  word 
about  that,  there'll  be  a  row  within  a  thousand  miles 
of  where  we  are.  What's  the  use  of  talking  about 
that  any  more  ?  I  mean  to  pay  it,  and  I  shall  pay  it ; 
you  may  bet  your  life  on  that." 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       19! 

"  Well,  drop  that  then,"  added  Monroe,  who  was 
not  disposed  to  quarrel  with  any  one,  even  on  a  matter 
of  principle.  "  You  don't  tell  how  you  intend  to  get 
out?" 

"  I  don't  mean  to  tell  you  till  you  show  more  spirit 
than  you  have  yet,"  said  Wilton,  reproachfully. 

"  That's  cool !  Haven't  I  staid  in  this  place  ten  days 
just  to  please  you  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  and  if  it  hadn't  been  for  me,  you  would 
have  gone  down  on  your  knees  to  old  Lowington,  and 
thro'wn  yourself  into  the  arms  of  the  chaplain,  and 
piped  to  prayers  with  Shuffles  and  the  rest  of  the 
lambs.  It  was  all  I  could  do  to  keep  your  back  stiff. 
Now  you  want  to  brag  of  your  spirit." 

"  I  haven't  bragged  of  it ;  but  I  have  stood  by  you 
from  the  beginning,  even  when  you  made  a  fool  of 
yourself." 

"  Where  would  you  have  been,  if  I  hadn't  put  you 
through?  Who  helped  you  out  of  the  policeman's 
hands  in  Edinburgh?" 

"  And  who  helped  me  into  the  policeman's  hands 
in  London?"  retorted  Monroe,  galled  by  the  boasts 
of  his  friend. 

"Never  mind,  Ike  Monroe  ;  it's  no  use  to  help  you 
out  of  trouble.  There  is  nothing  like  gratitude  in  you." 

"  You  have  helped  me  into  trouble  twice  where  you 
have  helped  me  ou-t  once." 

"  No  matter  ;  that's  the  way  you  treat  a  fellow  after 
he  has  done  everything  for  you,"  said  Wilton,  as  he 
walked  over  to  the  farther  corner  of  the  prison,  and 
sat  down  on  his  stool. 

"What's  the  use  of  getting  mad,  Wilt?     If  you  are 


192  RED    CROSS,    OR 

going  to  keep  punching  me  in  this  way,  I  shall  make 
my  peace  with  Lowington,  and  get  out  as  soon  as 
I  can." 

"  You  want  to  quarrel  with  me." 

" 1  don't  want  to  quarrel.     It's  you." 

"  No,  it  isn't  I !  You  keep  twitting  me  about  the 
safe,  or  something  of  that  sort,"  growled  Wilton.  "  I 
wish  I  had  a  good  fellow  in  here  with  me.  I'd  end 
up  this  old  Academy  Ship  in  less  than  ten  days." 

"  What  would  you  do  ?  " 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  would  tell  such  a  milk-and-water 
sop  as  you  are  what  I'm  going  to  do  ?  There  is  no  more 
backbone  in  you  than  there  is  in  a  fish-worm." 

Monroe  felt  reproved  for  his  want  of  firmness.  He 
was  silent  for  a  time,  and  the  crew  were  piped  down 
to  breakfast.  There  was  no  chance  to  say  anything 
more  till  afternoon,  when  all  hands  were  on  deck  drill 
ing  in  seamanship.  By  that  time  both  of  them  had 
cooled  oft',  and  the  kettle  ceased  to  call  the  pot  black. 
There  had  been  half  a  dozen  such  disputes  between 
them  since  they  had  been  in  the  brig.  Monroe, 
though  he  had  a  strong  desire  to  escape  from  confine 
ment,  had  not  the  courage  to  send  for  the  principal, 
and  declare  that  he  was  sorry  for  what  he  had  done, 
and  was  willing  to  do  better.  The  taunts  and  jeers 
of  his  friend  were  too  much  for  him. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  can  get  out,"  said  he,  after 
they  had  talked  conciliation  a  few  minutes. 

"  If  you  sav  you  are  willing  to  stand  by  me  till  the 
end,  I  will  tell  you,"  replied  Wilton. 

"  Of  course  I  shall  stand  by  you,  whether  you  tell 
me  or  not,"  added  Monroe,  magnanimously. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.      193 

"  Now  you  speak  like  a  good  fellow  !  "  said  Wilton, 
warmly.  "  Didn't  you  see  Adler  talking  with  me  yes 
terday  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  we  fixed  it  then." 

"Fixed  what?"  asked  Monroe,  when  the  other 
paused. 

"  Fixed  the  plan  to  get  out,  of  course,"  replied 
Wilton,  in  a  whisper. 

"What  is  it?"  demanded  Monroe,  his  curiosity 
excited. 

"  When  I  am  ready,  he  is  to  bring  me  the  carpen 
ter's  saw,  and  nothing  can  be  easier  than  to  saw  off 
one  of  these  pales." 

"  I  suppose  not ;  but  how  long  do  you  think  you 
could  saw  before  some  one  would  hear  the  noise  ?  " 

"  O,  you  are  a  blockhead,  if  there  ever  was  one  !  " 
exclaimed  Wilton. 

"  Perhaps  I  am  ;  but  if  my  head  is  a  block,  you 
can't  saw  it  with  that  kind  of  nonsense." 

"  Do  you  think  I'm  going  to  saw  it  off  when  all 
hands  are  in  the  steerage  ?  " 

"  There's  always  somebody  round." 

"  When  the  fellows  go  ashore,  the  boatswain,  car 
penter,  and  sailmaker  always  go  with  them  to  take 
?are  of  the  boats  —  don't  they  ?  " 

"  They  do  ;  and  while  they  are  gone,  all  the  boats 
are  gone  —  are  they  not?" 

"  Well,  they  are  generally  ;  but  I  can  manage  that. 
I  haven't  told  you  a  quarter  part  of  my  plan  yet?" 

"  Tell  the  rest  of  it  then." 

"  I  will,  if  you  will  keep  your  mouth  shut  and  hear 


194  RED  CROSS,  OR 

what  I  have  to  say.  When  I  go  next  time,  I'm  going 
to  take  twenty  or  thirty  of  the  fellows  with  me." 

Monroe  laughed  at  this  extensive  arrangement. 

"  Don't  you  believe  it?"  asked  Wilton,  taking  a  slip 
of  paper  from  his  pocket.  "  Look  at  that !  " 

Monroe  did  look  at  it.  On  the  paper  were  written 
in  pencil  the  names  of  twenty-five  of  the  crews  of  the 
Young  America  and  the  Josephine.  But  this  list  failed 
to  convince  the  sceptic  of  the  practicability  of  the  plan 
suggested. 

"Do  you  see  that?"  demanded  Wilton,  in  a  tone 
of  triumph,  as  though  he  had  established  his  position. 

"  I  see  it ;  but  any  fellow  could  write  out  a  list  of 
names." 

"  No,  he  couldn't —  not  such  a  list  of  names  as  that. 
This  thing  has  racked  my  brains  for  a  week,  and  it 
means  something,  I  tell  you." 

"  Well,  what  does  it  mean  ?  "  asked  Monroe,  whose 
curiosity  was  wrought  up  to  a  high  pitch. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  this  thing  over  while  you  lay 
there  whining." 

"  You  didn't  say  anything  to  me  about  it." 

"  I  know  that.  I  wasn't  going  to  talk  about  it  till  I 
got  things  ready ;  besides,  I  wanted  some  money  to 
work  with.  It  took  some  gumption,  I  can  tell  you, 
to  make  out  that  list.  It  isn't  every  fellow  that  could 
have  done  it." 

"  I  don't  see  it." 

"Don't  you?  Have  you  looked  at  those  names? 
Have  you  considered  who  and  what  they  are?" 

"  They  are  all  our  fellows,"  replied  Monroe,  glan 
cing  at  the  list  again. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      195 

"  That's  so  ;  every  fellow  whose  name  is  on  that 
paper  is  just  as  true  as  steel.  I've  worked  over  that 
list,  Ike  Monroe,  you'd  better  believe.  I  weighed 
every  fellow  in  the  balance,  and  if  there  was  a  doubt 
against  him,  I  threw  him  over.  I  rejected  the  names 
of  a  good  many  fellows." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  there  was  a  good  deal  of  talent 
displayed  in  getting  up  that  list.  I'm  willing  to  grant 
that  it  is  a  big  thing." 

"  It  is  a  big  thing." 

"What  of  it?"  asked  Monroe.  "That's  what  I 
want  to  know." 

"  Those  are  the  fellows  who  are  going  with  us 
when  we  leave  the  ship,"  replied  Wilton,  in  a  whis 
per,  as  though  he  was  afraid  the  crew,  who  were  at 
that  moment  in  the  rigging,  would  hear  him. 

"  How  do  you  know  they  will  go?  " 

"  Don't  I  know  the  fellows?" 

"  Have  you  spoken  to  them  about  it?" 

"  Of  course  I  haven't  yet." 

"That's  like  one  of  your  plans,  Wilt!"  laughed 
Monroe ;  "  you  have  got  it  all  fixed  before  a  single 
fellow  has  agreed  to  take  part  in  it ! " 

"Don't  I  tell  you  I  know  the  fellows?" 

"  So  do  I  know  them  ;  but  I  am  not  so  sure  they 
will  be  willing  to  run  away  from  the  ship  with  you." 

"  You  are  an  ignoramus,  Ike  Wilton !  You  don't 
know  beans ! " 

"  I  know  peas,  if  I  don't  know  beans,"  replied 
Monroe,  alluding  to  former  experiences. 

"  You  haven't  heard  half  the  plan,  and  begin  to 
condemn  it." 


196  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  If  you  have  anything  more  that  is  half  as  hopeful 
as  what  you  have  told  me,  I  don't  believe  you  will  set 
the  river  afire  with  your  nonsense." 

"  Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  won't  go  in 
with  me  ? "  demanded  Wilton,  chilled  by  the  cold 
water  which  had  been  thrown  upon  his  scheme. 

"Don't  understand  anything  of  the  sort!  I  have 
staid  in  the  brig  ten  days  to  please  you,  and  now  I 
will  do  anything,  if  it  is  to  knock  the  bottom  out  of 
the  ship,  with  you." 

"  That  sounds  more  like  it,"  replied  Wilton,  molli 
fied  by  this  unequivocal  manifestation  of  devotion  on 
the  part  of  his  friend. 

"  I  am  willing  to  go  it  blind,  capture  the  ship,  set 
her  on  fire,  or  anything  else,"  added  Monroe,  desper 
ately. 

He  had  been  bullied  into  resisting  his  convictions 
of  duty,  and  though  he  had  exaggerated  his  devotion 
to  the  cause  of  his  friend,  he  was  doubtless  ready  to 
do  anything  rather  than  endure  his  painful  confine 
ment  much  longer. 

"  All  right,  my  boy ! "  added  Wilton  with  enthu 
siasm.  "  You  are  just  where  I  want  you  to  be,  and 
just  where  I  am.  Do  you  think  I  am  going  to  join 
the  lambs  and  submit  to  Lowington's  tyranny?  Not 
if  I  know  it ! " 

"  Bully  for  you  ! "  replied  Monroe,  whose  spirit 
seemed  to  have  improved  under  the  cunning  casti- 
gation  of  his  fellow-prisoner.  "  I  am  ready  to  stand 
by  you,  whether  you  go  up  to  the  moon  or  down  to 
the  bottom  of  the  sea.  Now  tell  me  what  it's  all 
about?" 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND   AND   WALES.      197 

"  When  we  leave,  we  shall  go  off  in  the  Josephine," 
whispered  Wilton,  giving  due  emphasis  and  dramatic 
effect  to  the  astounding  revelation. 

Monroe  was  not  much  astonished,  and  would  not 
have  been  if  his  companion  had  told  him  he  intended 
to  make  his  escape  in  one  of  the  mail  steamers  in 
the  harbor,  to  be  chartered  or  captured  for  that  pur 
pose.  While  he  was  desperate  enough  to  undertake 
anything,  he  had  not  much  confidence  in  Wilton's 
strategy  or  ingenuity.  He  was  willing  to  do  the  worst 
thing  that  could  be  done,  and  then  abide  the  conse 
quences. 

"What  do  you  think  of  that?"  demanded  Wilton, 
with  a  sensational  flourish,  when  his  friend  relapsed 
into  silence. 

"  Put  it  through  !     I'm  with  you." 

"  I  suppose  you  think  it  can't  be  done,"  added  Wil 
ton,  who  courted  a  little  opposition  in  order  to  present 
his  case  with  due  effect. 

"  I  don't  know  but  it  can,"  said  Monroe,  looking 
over  the  paper  which  was  still  in  his  hand.  "  I  don't 
see  the  name  of  any  officer  on  this  paper." 

"  Not  an  officer ;  and  you  won't,  while  I  have  any 
thing  to  do  with  it.  They  put  on  too  many  airs.  It 
was  the  quarrel  between  Shuffles  and  Pelham  which 
used  up  the  Chain  League." 

"  Half  of  these  fellows  are  in  the  Josephine." 

"  I  know  they  are  ;  and  that's  just  where  I  want 
them.  Now  I  will  tell  you  just  how  the  whole  thing 
is  to  be  done,"  continued  Wilton,  dropping  his  voice 
to  a  whisper.  "  Half  the  fellows  are  in  the  ship,  and 
half  in  the  consort.  On  a  certain  day  fixed  upon 
17* 


1 98  RED    CROSS,    OR 

beforehand,  all  these  fellows  will  cut  up  so  as  to  lose 
their  liberty  when  the  ship's  company  go  ashore. 
Adler  says  they  never  use  but  two  or  three  of  the  Jo 
sephine's  boats,  and  there  is  always  one  at  the  davits. 
Just  as  soon  as  all  hands  have  left,  the  fellows  on 
board  of  the  schooner  will  send  the  boat  to  the  ship, 
and  we  will  all  go  on  board  of  the  consort,  slip  the 
cable,  make  sail,  and  be  off.  Don't  you  see  how  easy 
it  is  all  done  ?  " 

"  I  see  how  easy  it's  all  done  in  words,"  replied 
Monroe.  "  Who's  to  be  captain  of  the  Josephine 
when  you  get  oft"?  I  suppose  you  are,  though." 

"  No ;  I  don't  understand  navigation  well  enough. 
Tom  Perth  is  to  be  captain.  Every  fellow  likes  him, 
and  he  can  handle  a  vessel  as  well  as  Haven  or  any 
of  the  rest  of  the  officers." 

"  Perth's  a  good  fellow." 

"  It's  plain  enough  ;  there  is  a  heap  of  work  to  do 
before  this  thing  can  be  carried  out,  and  we  may  not 
get  away  for  a  month  yet." 

"  A  month !  Do  you  mean  to  stay  in  the  brig  a 
month?" 

"  I  don't  know  ;  I  think  Lowington  will  get  tired  of 
keeping  us  here." 

"  I'm  tired  of  it  now,  and  I  don't  care  about  wait 
ing  for  him  to  get  tired  of  it.  We  can  operate  twice 
as  well  outside  as  we  can  in  this  cage." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  Don't  be  in  a  hurry, 
Ike,  till  we  see  how  the  land  lies." 

That  night  Wilton  contrived  to  have  a  talk  with 
Adler,  to  whom  he  revealed  his  plan,  after  obtaining 
a  pledge  of  secrecy. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       199 

"  I'm  ready,  for  one,"  replied  Adler,  with  refreshing 
promptness ;  "  but  so  far  as  the  Josephines  are  con 
cerned,  it's  all  in  your  eye." 

"  No,  it  isn't,"  protested  Wilton. 

"  But  I  tell  you  it  is.  You  have  been  shut  up  in  the 
brig  ever  since  the  fellows  went  aboard  the  Josephine, 
and  you  haven't  cut  your  eye-teeth  yet.  If  I  had  a 
place  in  the  consort,  I  wouldn't  get  into  any  scrape  — 
not  I.  The  fellows  are  treated  like  gentlemen  there. 
They  don't  have  any  one  to  watch  them  when  they  go 
on  shore.  It's  no  use  of  talking  about  the  Josephines  ; 
they  won't  have  anything  to  do  with  the  affair ;  and 
if  you  say  a  word  to  any  fellow,  he'll  blow  on  you,  as 
sure  as  your  name 's  Wilton." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  Lynch,  Grossbeck, 
and  Sanborn  won't  go  in  with  me  ? "  demanded 
Wilton. 

"  I  know  they  won't ;  and  I  wouldn't,  if  I  were  in 
their  place.  All  the  old  fellows  on  board  would  join 
the  lambs  to-day  if  they  could  get  into  the  Josephine 
by  it.  Mind  your  eye  !  There  comes  an  officer." 

Adler  edged  oft'  out  of  sight  till  the  danger  was 
passed,  and  then  returned  to  his  former  position  be 
tween  the  pantry  and  the  brig,  where  he  could  easily 
get  out  of  sight  when  any  one  appeared. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  to  do,  Wilt,"  said  he ;  and  it 
was  evident  that  he  had  been  thinking  of  the  hopeful 
scheme  during  his  brief  absence. 

"Well,  what?"  asked  Wilton,  who,  however,  was 
not  prepossessed  in  favor  of  any  scheme  in  opposition 
to  his  own. 

"  Make  up  your  cre\v  out  of  the  ship." 


2OO  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  But  half  the  best  fellows  have  gone  into  the 
schooner." 

"  Don't  you  believe  it.  There  are  lots  of  tip-top 
fellows  among  the  greenies." 

"  I  don't  know  them." 

"  I  do  ;  and  I  know  a  dozen  of  them  who  will  go 
in  with  me  into  anything  I  say." 

"  They  are  not  sailors." 

"  They  will  be  before  long ;  but  the  old  fellows  can 
go  aloft,  and  these  greenies  can  pull  and  haul  well 
enough.  Don't  you  let  a  word  be  said  to  any  of  the 
Josephines.  You  might  as  well  take  the  speaking- 
trumpet,  and  blow  it  into  Lowington's  ears.  All  the 
old  fellows  are  mad  because  they  can't  go  in  the  Jose 
phine  ;  and  because  McLeish  and  a  chap  with  specs 
on  were  sent  to  her,  instead  of  a  couple  of  us.  Who's 
going  to  be  captain  of  the  Josephine  when  you  get 
her?" 

"  We  can't  get  her  on  your  plan,"  growled  Wilton. 

"  Yes,  you  can.  If  twenty-five  or  thirty  of  our  fel 
lows  cut  up  so  as  to  be  left  on  board  when  the  fellows 
go  ashore,  one  of  the  boats  will  be  left  at  the  davits. 
I  could  manage  this  thing  first-rate  myself." 

"  I  suppose  you  could  ;  every  fellow  thinks  he  could. 
Where's  Tommy  Perth?" 

"  On  deck." 

"Tell  him  I  want  to  talk  with  him  —  will  you, 
Adler?" 

"Just  so  —  I  see,"  replied  Adler,  with  a  knowing 
Ipok.  "  He  is  to  be  the  captain." 

"  That's  so.     What  do  you  think  of  it?" 

"  First-rate  !     All  the  fellows  like  Tom  Perth." 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       2OI 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Perth,  who  was  really  a 
clever  fellow,  but  without  any  balance-wheel,  con 
sented  to  see  the  reprobate  of  the  ship.  In  the  shades 
of  the  evening,  he  managed  to  have  a  long  chat  with 
Wilton  ;  and  flattered  by  the  honor  of  being  captain 
of  the  Josephine,  which  was  to  be  conferred  upon  him, 
accepted  the  leadership  in  the  wild  scheme,  and 
promised  to  "  organize  victory "  out  of  the  available 
material.  Wilton  appointed  himself  first  officer. 

"  See  here,  Perth,"  said  Wilton,  when  the  details 
of  the  scheme  had  been  well  considered ;  "  we  don't 
want  any  more  Chain  Leagues,  or  anything  of  that -sort 
—  not  if  we  know  it." 

"  It  don't  answer  to  tell  all  you  know,"  added  Perth. 

"  No ;  you  and  I  must  work  the  thing  up  our 
selves." 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  No  fellow  shall  be  allowed  to  know  who  joins  us 
and  who  don't,  till  the  last  moment.  We  can  fix 
twenty-five  or  thirty  of  them,  and  when  we  are  all 
ready,  we  will  tell  them  what  to  do." 

"That's  the  idea,"  added  Perth.  Then  a  fellow 
won't  know  who  belongs  and  who  don't.  I'll  go  to 
work  on  it  this  very  night,  and  I'll  ring  in  three  befora 
we  turn  in." 

"  Look  out,  and  don't  make  a  mess  of  it,"  said  Wil 
ton,  earnestly.  "  There  are  four  of  us  in  now  ;  about 
twenty  more  will  do  the  business." 

"  Don't  be  afraid  of  me,"  replied  Perth,  as  he 
walked  away  to  commence  his  mission  of  mischief. 

"  I  think  we  might  as  well  repent  now,  and  get  out 
of  the  brig,"  said  Wilton,  jocosely,  when  Perth  had 
left  him. 


2O2  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  That's  what  I've  been  saying  before,"  replied 
Monroe. 

"  I  don't  know  about  it,  though.  I'm  afraid  you 
would  back  down  if  you  got  out." 

"  Not  I." 

"  To-morrow  will  be  Sunday,  and  we  will  see  what 
can  be  done.  I  suppose,  if  we  should  join  the  lambs, 
and  pipe  to  prayers  with  Shuffles,  we  shouldn't  be 
half  so  likely  to  be  suspected,  if  any  of  the  officers 
should  happen  to  hear  a  word  or  two  that  was  not 
intended  for  their  ears." 

There  are  degrees  of  evil  as  well  as  of  good.  Some 
bad  boys  are  worse  than  other  bad  boys.  Even  Mon 
roe,  whose  standard  of  morality  was  low,  revolted  at 
the  idea,  needlessly,  and  for  the  success  of  a  vicious 
scheme,  of  putting  on  the  guise  of  the  hypocrite.  He 
was  not  willing  to  be  a  "  lamb." 

Sunday  passed  away  in  the  usual  manner.  All  the 
Josephine's  officers  and  crew  attended  divine  service 
on  board  the  ship  in  the  forenoon  and  in  the  after 
noon.  It  was  a  stormy  day,  but  no  one  was  allowed 
to  be  absent.  On  Monday,  after  the  lessons  were  dis 
posed  of,  the  crew  of  the  ship  were  drilled  till  dark  in 
reefing,  furling,  and  making  sail ;  and  by  this  time 
the  "  greenies "  were  tolei'ably  perfect  in  the  parts 
assigned  them  in  the  station  bills.  They  were  prac 
tised  at  "  all  hands,"  by  watches,  and  by  quarter 
watches,  but  hardly  any  of  them  knew  anything  more 
than  was  absolutely  required  of  them.  They  could 
not  do  the  work  of  others.  One  whose  station  in 
tacking,  was  at  the  main  clew-garnets  and  main  tack, 
would  not  have  known  what  to  do  if  told  to  let  go  the 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.      203 

head-bowlines,  as  any  of  the  old  sailors  would.  It 
would  be  months  before  the  green  hands  would  know 
all  the  ropes  in  the  ship. 

On  Tuesday,  after  recitations,  Mr.  Lowington  ex 
plained  to  the  ship's  company  of  the  Young  America 
the  object  of  coming  to  Whitehaven,  which  was  to 
devote  a  couple  of  days  to  the  Lake  District  of  Eng 
land  ;  and  for  this  purpose  two  days  of  vacation 
would  be  granted.  He  told  them  that  Mr.  McLaurin, 
the  kind  friend  who  had  rendered  them  so  much 
service  in  Scotland,  had  made  arrangements  which 
would  enable  them  to  see  most  of  the  objects  of  inter 
est  in  this  attractive  region  in  the  time  allowed  for  the 
purpose. 

Orders  had  been  sent  to  Captain  Kendall,  and  by 
two  o'clock  the  students  were  in  the  railroad  station 
at  Whitehaven,  seated  in  the  carriages.  Very  much 
to  the  disappointment  of  Monroe,  his  companion  in 
the  brig  decided  not  to  make  any  confession  or  prom 
ises,  and  they  were  compelled  to  remain  in  confine 
ment  until  the  return  of  the  excursion.  Lynch  and 
Grossbeck  were  also  compelled  to  stay  on  board  the 
Josephine,  in  charge  of  the  boatswain.  The  party 
were  in  their  usual  high  spirits,  and  in  about  two 
hours  arrived  at  Keswick,  which  is  situated  in  the 
northern  portion  of  the  Lake  District.  At  this  place 
they  found  Mr.  McLaurin,  who  was  delighted  to  meet 
Pelham  again,  and  immediately  conducted  him  to  his 
room  at  the  hotel  where  his  family  were. 

Keswick  is  a  small  town,  situated  near  the  foot  of 
Skiddaw,  a  lofty  mountain,  and  not  far  from  Derwent- 
water,  one  of  the  beautiful  lakes  of  this  region.  The 


204  RED    CROSS,    OR 

town  itself  tvas  of  no  interest,  but  Mr.  McLaurin  con* 
ducted  the  students  to  Greta  Hall,  a  little  out  of  the 
town,  which  was  the  home  of  Southey,  the  poet.  It 
was  a  plain  building,  with  vines  running  over  it,  but 
nothing  very  fine  about  it.  The  library  of  the  poet, 
and  the  room  in  which  he  died,  were  shown,  and  the 
party  wandered  about  the  grounds.  A  fine  view  of 
the  lake  was  obtained  near  Castle  Rigg.  It  is  a 
beaiitiful  sheet  of  water,  surrounded  by  embosoming 
mountains,  with  several  little  islets,  which  made  it  a 
pleasant  scene  for  the  eye  to  look  upon. 

Following  the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake,  the  party, 
after  a  walk  of  three  miles,  arrived  at  the  Falls  of 
Lodore,  about  which  Southey  wrote  his  "  gleaming  and 
streaming  and  steaming  and  beaming"  poem,  very 
melodious  and  very  amusing,  which  makes  the  reader 
feel  something  like  a  waterfall.  The  heavy  rains  of 
Sunday  had  given  the  fall  its  best  appearance,  though 
at  low  water  the  cataract  is  quite  tame.  The  stream 
which  forms  it  flows  between  two  lofty  crags,  and  its 
whole  descent  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  At 
the  village  of  Rossthwait,  where  Mr.  McLaurin  had 
provided  accommodations,  the  travellers  spent  the 
night. 

The  next  morning  the  company  started  to  walk  to 
Ullswater,  the  second  in  size  of  the  British  lakes, 
though  it  is  only  nine  miles  in  length  by  one  in  width. 
On  the  way  they  "  climbed  the  dark  brow  of  the 
mighty  Helvellyn,"  which  the  tragic  death  of  Charles 
Gough,  a  young  man  who  was  killed  by  falling  from 
a  precipice,  and  watched  over  by  his  faithful  dogs  for 
three  months,  has  made  memorable  in  the  poems 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.       205 

of  Scott  and  others.  The  Red  Tarn,  Striding  Edge, 
and  Catchedecam  were  familiar  names,  because  the 
poem  of  the  Scottish  bard  was  in  the  school  readers. 

The  excursion  party  arrived  at  Patterdale,  where 
they  dined,  and  embarked  in  a  small  steamer  for  a 
trip  through  Ullswater,  a  lake  surrounded  by  moun 
tains,  and  abounding  in  picturesque  scenery.  On 
their  return  to  Patterdale,  they  proceeded  in  wagons 
to  Grasmere,  the  home  and  the  burial-place  of  Words 
worth,  the  "  poet  of  nature,"  and  where  he  often  had 
with  him  Southey,  Coleridge,  Scott,  Lamb,  and  Wil 
son.  The  lakes  Rydal  Mere  and  Grasmere  were 
pretty  sheets  of  water,  and  everything  seemed  to  be 
sanctified  by  the  spirit  of  the  gentle  bard,  who  had 
celebrated  every  spot  in  the  vicinity  by  his  pen  and 
his  presence. 

But  only  a  couple  of  hours  could  be  spent  in  this 
delightful  locality,  and  the  wagons  moved  on  to  the 
Low- Wood  Hotel,  on  the  banks  of  Windermere,  the 
largest  of  the  English  lakes.  The  next  morning  the 
officers  and  seamen  were  photographed  in  a  group  on 
the  lawn  in  front  of  the  hotel,  by  an  artist  wh»  was 
taking  views  of  this  picturesque  region. 
18 


RED    CROSS,    OR 


CHAPTER    XIII. 
CAPTAIN  KENDALL'S  STATE-ROOM. 

THE  last  day  of  the  excursion  was  spent  in  ex 
ploring  the  scenery  of  Lake  Windennere,  which, 
though  tame  and  wanting  in  the  grandeur  of  the  other 
lakes  the  students  had  visited,  was  soft  and  pleasing 
in  its  aspect.  The  region  is  a  type  of  that  in  the 
vicinity  of  Lake  Champlain,  though  the  lakes  are  not 
so  large,  nor  the  mountains  so  high,  in  the  former  as 
in  the  latter. 

Small  steamboats  ply  on  Lake  Windermere,  and  the 
boys  had  an  opportunity  to  visit  every  part  of  it — not 
a  difficult  task  to  be  accomplished  in  a  single  day,  as 
the  lake  is  only  ten  miles  long,  and  not  more  than  a 
mile  in  breadth.  The  lakes  of  the  district  are  all  of 
this  character,  their  width  being  small  compared  with 
their  length.  Lake  George  is  thirty-six  miles  in  length, 
but  does  not  exceed  four  in  breadth.  The  length  of 
Lake  Champlain  is  rather  more  than  ten  times  its 
width,  while  the  same  is  true  of  numerous  sheets  of 
watei  hi  the  Adirondack  region. 

Scawfell  is  the  highest  mountain  in  the  Lake  Dis 
trict,  or  in  England.  It  is  three  thousand  two  hundred 
and  eight  feet  high.  Mount  Marcy,  the  highest  moun 
tain  in  the  lake  district  of  New  York,  is  five  thousand 


YOtTNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       2C>7 

four  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  If  we  could  plant  Whit- 
tier,  Longfellow,  and  Bryant  in  the  Adirondack  coun 
try,  we  should  have  a  "  lake  district"  in  New  York  more 
sublime  than  any  England  can  boast ;  for  it  needs  only 
the  inspiration  of  the  poets  to  invest  it  with  the  needed 
charm.  In  natural  attractions,  the  country  west  of 
Lake  Champlain  is  far  richer  than  the  much-lauded 
Lake  District  of  England,  beautiful  and  picturesque 
as  is  the  latter. 

Lake  Windermere  is  principally  fed  by  two  streams 
—  the  Rothay  and  the  Brathay,  both  of  which  rise  in 
the  mountains,  and  unite  their  waters  about  half  a 
mile  before  they  enter  the  lake.  Windermere  is  full 
of  trout  and  charr,  the  latter  being  the  English  smelt. 
In  the  spawning  season  both  of  these  fish  start  in  com 
pany  to  go  up  stream,  and  swim  together  up  the  river 
till  they  reach  the  junction  of  the  two  mountain  streams, 
where  they  separate,  all  the  trout  going  up  the  Rothay, 
and  all  the  charr  up  the  Brathay.-  Not  a  trout  or  a 
smelt  makes  a  mistake,  and  goes  the  wrong  way.  This 
singular  exhibition  of  instinct  has  excited  a  great  deal 
of  attention. 

During  the  excursion,  the  students  had  abundant 
opportunities  to  wander  about  in  small  parties,  and 
from  the  time  the  boys  began  their  tramp  down  the 
shores  of  Derwentwater,  Tom  Perth  had  been  busy 
enlisting  the  recruits  who  were  to  take  part  in  the 
capture  of  the  Josephine.  Those  of  "  our  fellows " 
who  were  left  in  the  ship  were  in  a  state  of  discon 
tent.  They  were  jealous  of  the  privileges  which  had 
been  accorded  to  the  crew  of  the  Josephine,  and  the 
rebel  captain  found  the  commission  he  had  accepted 


208  RED    CROSS,    OR 

easier  than  he  supposed.  When  the  party  took  their 
places  in  the  train  at  Windermere  to  return  to  White- 
haven,  he  had  actually  pledged  nine  of  the  old  sailors 
to  act  with  him.  This  number,  added  to  those  already 
secured,  made  up  half  the  required  crew. 

At  eight  in  the  evening  all  hands  were  on  board 
their  vessels,  tired  enough  to  sleep  without  an  opiate. 
The  next  afternooon  was  spent  in  visiting  the  coal 
mines  of  Whitehaven,  which  are  said  to  be  among 
the  most  extraordinary  in  the  world.  They  are  nine 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  depth,  and  extend  for  some 
distance  under  the  bed  of  the  sea,  and  beneath  the 
town.  There  are  five  entrances  to  these  mines  on  the 
north  and  south  sides  of  the  place,  which  are  called 
Bearmouths ;  but  the  descent  through  them  is  so 
gradual  that  horses  can  go  down.  .In  driving  times 
as  many  as  fifteen  hundred  tons  of  coal  are  taken 
every  day  from  the  mines. 

After  recitation  on  Saturday,  the  signal  for  sailing 
was  hoisted  at  the  peak  of  the  Young  America.  The 
pilots  came  on  board,  and  by  two  o'clock  the  ship  and 
her  consort  were  standing  out  of  the  harbor,  bound 
for  Holyhead.  The  wind  was  light,  and  at  dark  the 
little  squadron  had  not  made  forty  miles.  In  the 
night  a  dense  fog  settled  down  upon  the  sea,  and  the 
two  vessels  parted  company.  Paul  did  not  leave 
the  deck  of  the  Josephine  that  night.  On  Sunday 
morning  the  weather  was  clear,  but  the  Young  Amer 
ica  was  not  to  be  seen,  and  the  young  commander, 
after  ordering  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  "  crack  on  " 
for  Holyhead,  turned  in.  At  twelve  o'clock  she  came 
to  anchor  within  the  breakwater  at  the  port  of  her 


YOUXG    AMERICA    IX    ENGLAND    AXD    WALKS.       2CK) 

destination.     Three  hours  later  the  ship  came  in,  and 
moored  near  her. 

Monroe,  in  the  brig,  was  out  of  patience  with  Wil 
ton,  and  was  almost  ready  to  get  out  on  uny  terms, 
even  by  sacrificing  his  companion,  and  exposing  his 
daring  scheme.  Perhaps  he  would  have  done  so,  if  a 
circumstance  had  not  occurred,  after  the  ship  came  to 
anchor,  which  forced  Wilton  to  change  his  tactics.  At 
every  opportunity  he  could  obtain,  Tom  Perth  held  a 
consultation  with  the  chief  conspirator ;  for,  having 
received  his  appointment  of  captain  from  him,  that 
honor  which  is  said  to  exist  among  thieves  would 
not  permit  him  to  ignore  his  principal.  It  had  been 
agreed  between  them,  that  if  Perth  was  caught  in  the 
act  of  communicating  with  the  prisoners,  he  should 
declare  he  was  persuading  Wilton  to  repent  and  do 
his  duty. 

"  What  are  you  doing  there  ?  "  demanded  Foster, 
the  fourth  lieutenant  of  the  ship,  as  he  discovered  Perth 
talking  with  Wilton  through  the  bars  of  the  brig. 

"  He  called  me,"  replied  Perth,  with  feigned  hu 
mility. 

"  No  matter  for  that ;  you  had  no  right  to  speak  to 
him,"  replied  Foster,  as  he  went  on  deck.  "  You  will 
report  to  the  first  lieutenant  at  once." 

Perth  followed  the  lieutenant,  and  was  reported  to 
Goodwin  for  speaking  to  a  prisoner.  Goodwin  re 
ported  the  case  to  the  captain,  and  the  captain  to 
the  principal,  before  whom  the  delinquent  was  sum 
moned. 

"  He  hailed  me,"  pleaded  Perth. 

"  What  did  he  want  of  you?" 
18* 


RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  He  wanted  to  talk  with  me,  and  I  told  him  he  was 
a  fool  to  spend  a  fortnight  in  the  brig,"  replied  Perth. 

"  Did  you,  indeed?  " 

"  I  did,  sir,  and  I  advised  him  to  behave  himself." 

u  That  was  good  advice,  and  it  was  only  stran 
that  it  should  come  from  you,"  added  Mr.  Lowington. 
"  Perth,  what  trick  are  you  up  to  now?  " 

"  No  trick,  sir.  I  haven't  been  in  any  scrape  for  a 
good  while,"  protested  the  culprit. 

"  But  I  think  you  are  planning  one  now." 

"  No,  sir  !  " 

"You  actually  asked  Wilton  to  behave  himself." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  " 

"  He  said  he  was  really  sorry  he  had  run  away, 
and  if  it  wasn't  for  the  fellows  laughing  at  him,  h 
would  own  up,  and  turn  over  a  new  leaf." 

"Well,  what  then?"  asked  the  principal,  deeply 
interested,  even  while  he  had  no  confidence  in  the 
rogue  before  him. 

"  I  told  him  the  fellows  were  sorry  for  him,  and 
wouldn't  laugh  at  him.  I  advised  him  to  make  a 
clean  breast  of  it." 

"  Are  you  telling  me  the  truth,  Perth  ?  " 

"  You  can  ask  Wilton,  sir." 

"  I  will  ask  him  ;  and  if  you  have  told  me  a  false 
hood,  Perth,  you  shall  spend  your  spare  hours  to-mor 
row  on  the  cross-trees." 

Mr.  Lowington  led  the  way  to  the  steerage,  where 
he  sent  a  steward  to  his  room  for  the  key  of  the  brig. 
Peaks  was  directed  to  bring  Wilton  before  him.  The 
principal  had  been  sadly  troubled  by  the  obstinacy  of 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      211 

the  prisoners  in  the  brig.  While  they  refused  even  to 
promise  better  behavior,  he  could  not  let  them  out ; 
and  he  felt  that  their  confinement,  so  long  continued, 
would  be  an  injury  to  them.  He  hoped,  therefore,  that 
they  were  in  a  frame  of  mind  which  would  permit 
their  release,  though  their  punishment  was  to  be  con 
tinued  by  depriving  them  of  their  privileges  for  at  least 
a  fortnight  longer. 

"  Did  you  call  to  Perth  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Lowington. 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  was  going  to  send  a  message  to  you, 
saying  that  I  wanted  to  see  you,"  replied  Wilton, 
promptly. 

"  Did  you  wish  to  see  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.". 

"What  for?" 

"  To  ask  you  to  let  me  out." 

"  Did  you  expect  me  to  let  you  out?" 

"  I  didn't  know  ;  but  I  wanted  to  tell  you  I  was 
sorry  for  what  I  had  done,  and  meant  to  do  better." 

"Do  you  mean  that?"  asked  Mr.  Lowington,  en 
couraged  by  the  prospect. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  do  ;  and  I  never  meant  anything  half 
so  strongly  before,"  replied  Wilton. 

"  How  long  have  you  felt  this?  " 

"  Ever  since  I  was  first  put  into  the  brig." 

"  Why  did  you  not  say  so?  You  are  aware  that  I 
do  not  keep  any  student  in  the  brig  unless  he  is  obsti 
nate  and  rebellious,  as  you  were." 

"  I  didn't  like  to  say  so,  though  I  felt  so,"  answered 
Wilton. 
|    "Why  not?" 

"  I  was  afraid  the  fellows  would  laugh  at  me." 


212  RED    CROSS,   OR 

"  Perth,  when  a  prisoner  in  the  brig  speaks  to  you, 
there  is  no  necessity  for  you  to  hold  any  conversation 
with  him,"  added  Mr.  Lowington,  turning  to  the 
rogue.  "  If  one  in  the  brig  wishes  to  speak  to  me, 
he  can  call  upon  an  officer." 

"  That's  what  I  was  going  to  do,"  said  Perth. 

"  But  that  is  what  you  did  not  do.  You  may  go 
now." 

Perth  went ;  and  for  half  an  hour  the  principal 
talked  with  Wilton  and  Monroe,  both  of  whom  prom 
ised  to  observe  the  rules  of  the  ship,  and  submit  to 
whatever  further  punishment  was  deemed  necessary. 
They  were  at  once  discharged  from  arrest,  but  were 
not  to  be  allowed  to  leave  the  ship  till  further  orders. 

"  That  was  well  done,"  said  Wilton,  as  he  went  on 
deck  with  Monroe. 

"  It  ought  to  have  been  done  a  fortnight  ago," 
growled  Monroe. 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Agneau,  the  chaplain,  learned  that 
the  prisoners  had  been  released,  and  were  in  a  peni 
tent  frame  of  mind,  he  hastened  to  give  them  such 
counsel  and  instruction  as  their  case  required.  The 
hypocrite  Wilton  was  prepared  for  this,  but  Monroe 
was  silent  under  the  infliction,  as  he  regarded  it.  The 
former  promised  everything,  and  talked  like  one  of  the 
"  lambs."  He  declared  that  he  had  been  led  to  see 
th'e  error  of  his  ways,  and  he  had  reformed.  The 
chaplain  was  earnest  and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty. 

"  We  must  take  care  of  him,  and  surround  him  with 
good  influences,"  said  the  simple-hearted  chaplain  to 
Shuffles,  when  he  had  left  the  supposed  penitents. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.       213 

"  I  will  do  what  I  can  for  them  ;  I  used  to  be  very 
intimate  with  both  of  them,"  replied  Shuffles,  in  whose 
change  of  heart,  life,  and  purpose  there  was  no  sham. 

Shuffles  improved  the  first  opportunity  to'  speak  a 
kind  word  to  Wilton  and  Monroe.  They  had  all  been 
students  of  the  Brockway  Academy  together  under 
Mr.  Baird  ;  indeed,  Shuffles  and  Monroe  had  been  the 
indirect  cause  of  the  establishing  of  the  Academy  Ship. 

"  Wilton,  I  suppose  you  won't  believe  it,  but  I  enjoy 
myself  ten  times  as  well  now  as  I  used  to  when  I  was 
always  getting  into  scrapes,"  said  Shuffles. 

"  I  do  believe  it,"  responded  Wilton. 

"  I  mean  to  be  a  good  man  ;  and  this  desire  makes 
me  happy." 

"  I  mean  to  be  so  too,"  protested  Wilton.  "  I  have 
had  a  long  time  to  think  over  these  things  while  in  the 
brig." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so." 

"'  I'm  going  to  be  one  of  the  lambs,"  added  Wilton. 

Shuffles  looked  at  him,  and  had  a  doubt  of  his  sin 
cerity. 

"  Do  you  think  I  don't  mean  it?  "  demanded  Wilton. 

"  I  hope  you  do." 

"  But  I  do ;  I  am  ready  to  pipe  to  prayers  with  you 
and  the  rest  of  the  lambs." 

"  You  must  not  use  those  sneering  terms,  if  you 
mean  what  you  say,"  added  Shuffles,  mildly. 

"  I  didn't  mean  anything,"  continued  Wilton,  fearful 
that  he  had  been  overdoing  the  matter,  as  hypocrites 
generally  do. 

Shuffles  talked  with  the  penitents  for  some  time  ,• 
but  he  understood  human  nature  better  than  Mr. 


414  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Agneau,  and  he  had  grave  fears  in  regard  to  them, 
though  he  hoped  for  the  best. 

The  next  morning  it  was  noised  through  the  ship 
that  Wilton  had  joined  the  "  lambs ; "  that  he  had 
actually  attended  a  private  prayer-meeting  with  the 
chaplain,  Shuffles,  and  a  few  others.  The  hypocrite 
did  not  deny  it ;  on  the  contrary,  he  declared  it  was 
all  true,  though  the  prayer-meeting  was  an  exaggera 
tion  of  the  interview  between  himself  and  the  chap 
lain. 

"  Ah,  my  lad,  I'm  glad  you  got  out,"  said  Spenser 
Murdock,  as  they  met  on  deck. 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Wilton.  "  I'm  glad  to  get 
out." 

"  And  the  lads  say  you  have  reformed  your  life  and 
manners,  and  become  one  of  the  lambs.     If  that's  so, 
I'll  trouble  you  for  the  twenty  pounds  I  placed  in  you 
keeping." 

"  Twenty  pounds  !  'f  exclaimed  Wilton,  vexed  at  th 
demand,  with  which  it  was  no  part  of  his  purpose  t 
comply. 

"  Ay,  twenty  pounds.     Don't  you  remember?  " 

"  Hush  up  ! "  whispered  Wilton,  as  an  officer  passe 
them. 

"  Won't  you  give  me  the  money  ?  "  demanded  Mur 
dock,  when  the  officer  was  out  of  hearing. 

"What  money?" 

"  I  see  you  mean  to  cheat  me  out  of  it,"  added  the 
new  hand,  indignantly.  "  You  are  not  a  lamb,  after 
all,  for  the  lambs  don't  do  such  things." 

Wilton  could  not  help  seeing  that  if  he  denied 
having  the  money,  it  would  not  be  in  keeping  with 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       215 

the  character  he  had  assumed.  He  must  be  consis 
tent,  outwardly,  at  least. 

"  Did  you  have  any  more  money?  "  he  asked. 

"  What  if  I  had?  "  replied  Murdock,  angrily. 

"  What  did  you  do  with  it?  " 

"  I  gave  it  up  when  the  principal  asked  for  it,  and 
he  gave  me  a  receipt." 

"  Did  he  ask  you  if  that  was  all  you  had  ?  " 

"  Of  course  he  did.  What  business  is  that  of 
yours?"  said  the  new  hand,  impatiently. 

"  Of  course  he  did  ;  and  you  told  him  you  had 
twenty  pounds  in  my  keeping,"  added  Wilton. 

"  No,  I  didn't ;  I  told  him  I  had  no  more,  and  I 
hadn't ;  and  if  I  trust  to  your  honesty  I'm  not  likely  to 
have  any  more." 

"  You  told  him  you  had  no  more,"  repeated  Wilton. 

"  What  else  should  I  tell  him?  To  be  sure  I  told 
him  so." 

"  That  was  a  wicked  lie,"  said  Wilton,  gravely. 

"  You  may  be  a  lamb,  but  you  can't  pull  your  wool 
over  my  eyes.  Give  me  my  twenty  pounds  or  I'll 
choke  it  out  of  you." 

"  Consider,  my  dear  friend,  what  a  fearful  thing  it  is 
to  utter  a  deliberate  falsehood." 

"  Will  you  give  me  my  money?" 

"  I  dare  not  do  it  after  the  falsehood  you  have  told. 
I  shall  be  obliged  to  hand  it  to  Mr.  Lowington,  and 
state  the  circumstances  to  him." 

"  You  will !  "  exclaimed  Murdock,  aghast  at  this 
proposition. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  expose  you,  but  I  must  do  my  duty. 
You  would  call  me  a  hypocrite  if  I  did  not  give  this 
tnonev  to  the  principal." 


Sl6  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Or  if  you  did,  either,"  replied  Murdock,  hitting 
the  nail  squarely  on  the  head. 

"  I  am  willing  to  suffer  any  reproaches  that  may 
be  heaped  upon  me.  The  chaplain  told  me  I  should 
be  sneered  at  and  reviled ;  but  I  didn't  expect  it  so 
soon." 

"  Give  me  my  money  then." 

"  You  can't  help  seeing  that  my  duty  will  not  per 
mit  me  to  do  that.  I  hate  to  expose  you  and  get  you 
into  trouble." 

Spenser  Murdock  was  decidedly  opposed  to  having 
his  conduct  laid  bare  to  the  principal. 

"  I  see  you  mean  to  cheat  me  out  of  my  money,  and 
I  suppose  I  can't  help  myself,"  added  he,  more  mildly. 
"  If  that's  what  the  lambs  are  made  of,  I  would  rather 
have  veal  than  mutton." 

"  Don't  you  see  my  position  ?  I  don't  want  to  cheat 
vou  out  of  your  money,  as  you  call  it,  and  I  don't 
want  to  expose  you  to  the  principal.  What  shall 
I  do?" 

"  Give  me  my  money,  and  then  you  will  neither 
cheat  me  nor  expose  me." 

"  It  wouldn't  be  right  for  me  to  do   that,"  replied 
Wilton,  meekly.     "  Perhaps  we  may  make  a  compn 
mise." 

"  What's  that?     It's  something  mean,  I  dare  say." 

"  I  must  get  rid  of  the  money  somehow.     It  don 
belong  to  me." 

"There's  a  glimmer  of  truth." 

"  It  would  be  wrong  for  me  to  give  it  to  you, 
because  you  have  told  the  principal  a  falsehood, 
would  be  wrong  for  me  to  keep  it,  because  it  don't 
belong  to  me.  I'll  tell  you  what  may  be  done." 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      217 

"  Well,  what  may  be  done?  "  demanded  Murdock. 

"  We  can  give  it  to  the  poor." 

"  I  dare  say  we  can,"  added  the  new  hand,  dryly. 

"  Then  the  money  will  do  good,  and  nobody  will  be 
in  the  wrong.  It  will  save  you  from  exposure,  and 
me  from  sharing  in  the  guilt  of  your  deception." 

"  I'll  do  it !  "  exclaimed  Murdock,  who  concluded 
that  it  was  better  to  lose  liis  twenty  pounds  than  to  be 
exposed  to  the  principal. 

"  Very  well ;  then  the  matter  is  all  settled,"  said 
Wilton. 

"Settled?  I  think  not.  I  thought  you  said  we 
were  to  give  the  money  to  the  poor,"  interposed  Mur 
dock. 

"  Certainly." 

"  Who's  going  to  give  it  to  the  poor?" 

"  I  am,  of  course." 

"  I  prefer  to  do  it  myself." 

"•  But  I  can't  trust  one  who  has  been  guilty  of  telling 
a  wilful  falsehood." 

"  O,  you  can't !  "  ejaculated  Murdock.  "  Then  I 
suppose  I  am  to  trust  you." 

"  I  see  no  other  way,  unless  you  prefer  that  our  good 
friend  the  chaplain  should  be  informed  of  the  circum 
stances,  and  requested  to  give  the  money  away  for 
you." 

*'  He  would  tell  the  principal." 

4i  Probably  he  would,"  replied  Wilton,  candidly. 

"  But  I  won't  trust  one  of  the  lambs." 

"  Very  well ;  then  I  will  wait  upon  Mr.  Lowing- 
ton  and  state  the  case  to  him  ;  "  and  Wilton  walked  aft 
towards  the  quarter-deck,  where  Mr  Lowington  was. 
19 


2l8  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Do  as  you  like  about  it  —  give  the  money  to  the 
poor  yourself,"  said  Murdock,  following  him. 

"  Very  well,"  replied  Wilton.  "  I'll  give  it  to  the 
poor,"  he  muttered  to  himself;  "but  I  don't  know  of 
any  one  that  is  any  poorer  than  I  am." 

Murdock  gave  up  his  money  as  lost,  though  he  was 
tempted  to  go  to  Mr.  Lowington,  expose  the  rascality 
of  the  young  "  lamb,"  and  confess  his  own  fault.  But 
he  had  not  the  moral  courage  to  do  this.  Accustomed 
as  he  had  been  always  to  have  money  in  his  pocket, 
he  felt  poor  now.  After  recitations,  when  all  hands 
were  piped  to  go  ashore,  he  did  not  care  to  join  them. 
He  had  not  a  penny  in  his  possession,  and  the  shilling 
which  was  allowed  each  student  seemed  to  be  only  an 
aggravation  of  the  misery  to  one  who  had  hardly  ever 
put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  without  rinding  at  least  a 
sovereign  there. 

"  Young  gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Lowington,  when 
the  crew  gathered  on  the  deck  of  the  ship,  "  I  have 
informed  Captain  Kendall  that  we  shall  visit  the  Jose 
phine  to-day,  and  on  our  way  to  the  shore  we  will 
spend  half  an  hour  with  him." 

This  was  welcome  intelligence  to  the  boys,  for  an 
opportunity  had  not  before  been  presented  for  them  to 
visit  the  consort,  which  they  were  very  desirous  of  ex 
amining.  Mr.  Lowington  consented  to  the  vis 
because  he  had  promised  it,  rather  than  because  it  was 
expedient  to  do  so.  The  students  had  Josephine  or 
the  brain  ;  and  if  she  had  been  a  beautiful  young  lady, 
she  could  hardly  have  been  more  adored.  All  the 
hands  in  the  ship,  even  to  the  officers,  wanted  to  ge 
into  her  ;  and  a  visit  to  her  would  not  have  a  tendency 


YOUNO    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.     219 

to  render  them  any  more  contented  with  their  lot  in 
the  Young  America.  As  she  was  so  popular,  Mr. 
Lowington  entertained  serious  thoughts  of  disposing 
of  the  ship,  and  procuring  in  her  place  two  small  ves 
sels  like  the  consort.  He  had  even  spoken  to  Mr. 
Fluxion  on  the  subject,  and  the  matter  was  still  under 
advisement. 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  I  would  like  to  be  excused  from 
going  on  shore,"  said  Spenser  Murdock,  as  the  princi 
pal  descended  from  his  rostrum. 

"Why  so?" 

"  I  have  been  all  about  Holyhead  several  times,  and 
it  makes  me  tired  to  walk  about  so  much,"  replied  the 
new  hand. 

"  Very  well ;  we  will  not  compel  any  one  to  go 
ashore." 

"But  if  you  please,  sir,  I  would  like  to  visit  the 
Josephine." 

u  You  may  remain  on  board  of  her  till  a  boat  comes 
from  her  to  the  ship.  The  stewards  are  going  back 
and  forth  occasionally." 

Agreeably  to  these  arrangements,  the  boats  pulled  to 
the  Josephine.  Flag-officer  Gordon  and  the  faculty 
were  received  with  all  the  honors,  and  formally  wel 
comed  by  Captain  Kendall.  The  crew  of  the  ship 
were  allowed  to  explore  every  part  of  her  except  the 
cabin,  to  which  none  but  officers  were  admitted.  The 
visitors  were  as  much  fascinated  by  the  trim  little 
craft  as  her  own  officers  and  crew  were,  and  envied 
those  who  were  attached  to  her.  After  remaining 
half  an  hour  on  board,  the  boats  started  for  the  shore, 
to  be  followed  by  those  of  the  Josephine  as  soon 


22O  RED    CROSS,    OR 

as   the   honors   had  been   rendered  to   the  departing 
guests. 

Captain  Kendall  was  in  a  hurry,  but  at  the  las 
moment  one  of  the  acting  pursers  had  reminded  him 
that  there  was  not  small  silver  enough  on  hand  to  pay 
the  allowances  to  the  crew  the  next  time  they  went 
ashore.  He  had  settled  his  accounts  with  the  princi 
pal  on  Saturday,  as  he  was  required  to  do  every  week, 
and  one  hundred  pounds  in  Bank  of  England  notes 
had  been  paid  to  him.  While  the  purser  was  standing 
at  his  door,  he  had  opened  his  iron  box,  and  taken  there 
from  twenty  pounds  to  be  exchanged  for  shillings, 
half  crowns,  and  florins  on  shore. 

Paul  was  usually  very  careful  in  the  charge  of  his 
financial  affairs,  but  in  his  hurry  on  this  occasion  he 
made  a  bad  mistake.  He  handed  the  bank  notes  to 
the  purser,  leaving  the  key  in  the  safe. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  with  McLeish?  "  asked  Ter- 
rill,  when  the  captain  appeared  at  the  door.  "  He  is 
in  the  first  cutter,  ready  to  go  on  shore." 

"  I  stopped  his  liberty  this  morning."  replied  Paul, 
rather  shai'ply.  "  You  will  order  him  out  of  the  boat. 
If  he  does  not  obey  promptly,  request  Mr.  Cleats  to 
take  him  out." 

Paul's  thoughts  were  fully  occupied  with  this  case 
of  discipline,  and  painfully  so,  we  may  add,  for  he 
could  not  help  considering  how  much  regret  it  would 
give  to  Grace  Arbuckle  to  learn  that  her  penitent  had 
fallen  from  his  high  resolutions,  and  been  impudent  to 
no  less  a  person  than  the  captain  himself.  He  closed 
the  door  of  his  state-room,  the  safe  driven  from  his 
mind  by  the  affair  of  McLeish,  and  locked  it,  but 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      221 

Jeft  the  key  in  the  door,  according  to  his  usual  cus 
tom.  He  went  on  deck  soon  enough  to  hear  Terrill 
order  the  impudent  hand  on  deck. 

Somewhat  to  his  surprise,  McLeish  yielded  a  prompt 
obedience.  As  he  came  on  deck  he  met  Paul,  and 
touched  his  cap,  with  no  evidence  of  being  stubborn 
and  refractory  in  his  manner. 

"  I  stopped  your  liberty  this  morning  when  you  were 
impudent  to  me,"  said  Paul,  mildly. 

"  I  did  not  understand  you,  sir,"  replied  McLeish, 
with  more  than  usual  gentleness.  "  I  did  not  mean  to 
be  impudent.  I  was  quick,  and  did  not  mind  what 
I  said.  I'm  very  sorry  ;  indeed  I  am." 

"  You  must  stay  on  board  this  time ;  and  I  hope 
there  will  be  no  occasion  to  deprive  you  of  your  lib 
erty  again,"  added  Paul,  kindly. 

u  I  hope  not.  I  am  willing  to  be  punished  ;  but  as  I 
didn't  mean  to  be  impudent,  I  hope  you  will  not  tell 
the  young  lady,"  said  McLeish,  touching  his  cap 
again. 

"You  shall  not  suffer  in  her  estimation  as  long  as 
you  try  to  do  well,  though  you  occasionally  fail,"  con 
tinued  Paul,  as  he  went  over  the  side  into  his  gig. 

The  boats  pulled  for  the  shore,  and  McLeish 
watched  them  till  they  disappeared  behind  a  ship  at 
anchor.  In  the  forenoon  Professor  Hamblin  had  com 
plained  of  him  to  the  captain  for  inattention  at  the 
recitation,  after  giving  him  several  black  marks. 

"  I'm  doing  the  best  I  can,"  growled  he,  snappishly. 
"  I'm  a  fool  I  suppose,  but  I'm  no  the  only  one  where 
you  are." 

"  Your  liberty  will  be  stopped  again,"  replied  the 
19* 


222  RED    CROSS,    OR 

captain,   expecting  that  the  next  thing  would  be   to 
order  McLeish  into  the  brig. 

McLeish  was  impulsive,  and  had  spoken  without 
consideration.  The  captain's  remark  recalled  his  good 
resolution,  and  he  was  silent.  He  was  truly  sorry  for 
what  he  had  done,  and  intended  to  apologize  to  the 
captain  at  the  first  convenient  opportunity.  He  un 
derstood  the  captain  to  say  that  his  liberty  would  be 
^stopped  if  he  persisted  in  his  course,  not  that  it  had 
been. 

When  he  turned  from  the  boats  he  saw  Spenser 
Murdock  looking  at  him.  They  were  strangers  to  each 
other,  and  as  McLeish  did  not  care  about  talking  with 
any  one  in  his  present  frame  of  mind,  he  ran  up  the 
fore  rigging,  and  took  a  seat  on  the  topsail-yard  to 
think  of  his  case.  Murdock,  finding  he  was  avoided 
by  the  only  student  on  board,  walked  up  and  down 
the  deck  a  while,  and  then  descended  to  the  steerage 
to  examine  more  minutely  the  accommodations  of  the 
crew.  The  boatswain  and  carpenter  of  the  Josephine 
had  gone  on  shore  to  take  charge  of  the  boats,  while 
the  party  were  seeing  the  sights  in  Holyhead  ;  and 
there  was  no  one  on  board  but  the  cook  and  stewards, 
who  had  done  their  work  and  were  idling  on  the  for 
castle. 

Murdock  walked  through  the  steerage,  looked  into 
the  brig,  and  into  the  pantry.  Then  he  opened  the 
door  leading  into  the  cabin,  where  all  seamen  were 
forbidden  to  go,  which  may  have  been  the  particular 
reason  why  he  desired  to  enter  it.  No  one  was  pres 
ent,  and  he  walked  through  the  passage  into  the  cabi 
He  had  spent  a  day  there  as  a  passenger,  and  was  fi 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       223 

\ 

miliar  with  the  place.  He  looked  into  everything  with 
more  than  Yankee  curiosity,  not  neglecting  even  the 
sacred  precincts  of  the  captain's  state-room,  the  goal 
of  every  student's  ambition.  He  looked  into  Paul's 
berth,  and  into  his  lockers.  Before  he  had  fully  ex 
amined  everything,  his  eye  rested  upon  the  iron  box, 
wilh  the  key  in  the  lid. 

He  opened  it  —  of  course  he  opened  it,  for  he  was  a 
"  wild  boy."  He  saw  the  bank  notes ;  he  picked 
them  up,  and  counted  them.  There  were  eighty 
pounds  in  the  package.  As  Spenser  Murdock  always 
did  wicked  things  "  for  fun,"  he  thought  it  would  be  a 
good  joke  if  he  should  put  the  notes  in  his  pocket. 
He  did  put  them  in  his  pocket,  for  the  pressure  of 
poverty  which  rested  so  heavily  upon  him  did  not  per 
mit  him  to  resist  the  temptation. 

Closing  the  lid  of  the  strong  box,  he  began  to  exer 
cise  what  cunning  he  had  in  regard  to  the  disposal  of 
the  key,  which  he  was  satisfied  had  been  left  in  the  safe 
by  accident.  If  found  there  it  would  show  the  means 
by  which  the  money  had  been  purloined.  On  the 
;rth  lay  the  captain's  overcoat.  He  put  the  key  into 
>ne  of  the  pockets  of  this  garment.  He  had  seen  sev 
eral  of  the  officers  take  their  overcoats  into  the  boats, 
for  they  seldom  went  on  shore  without  being  caught 
in  a  shower.  Probably  Captain  Kendall  had  intended 

take  his,  or  why  should  it  be  lying  on  his  bed  ? 

Murdock  took  the  overcoat  and  put  it  on  the  table 
in  the  cabin.  The  captain  was  expected  to  believe, 
/hen  he  returned,  that  he  had  put  the  key  of  the  safe 
into  the  pocket  of  his  overcoat,  and  left  the  garment 
on  the  cabin  table  ;  or,  if  he  did  not  believe  it,  the  facts, 


2:14  RED    CROSS,    OR 

as  he  found  them,  ought  to  convince  him  that  such  was 
the  case. 

The  new  hand  was  satisfied  with  what  he  had  done 
to  cover  up  his  amusing  deed,  and,  having  locked  the 
door  of  the  state-room,  returned  to  the  steerage.  He 
had  robbed  the  counting-room  of  the  mill,  once,  and 
been  detected  ;  but  more  than  once  had  he  pilfered 
small  sums  from  his  father  without  detection,  —  always 
"  for  fun,"  of  course,  —  and  he  was  so  much  accus 
tomed  to  this  jocose  criminality,  that  the  deed  did  not 
seriously  disturb  him.  He  walked  about  the  steerage 
for  a  few  moments,  when  McLeish  came  down,  tired 
of  the  fore-yard.  By  this  time  the  young  Scotchman 
felt  more  social,  and  the  two  students  had  a  chat. 
While  thus  engaged,  they  heard  the  noise  of  lowering 
a  boat  on  deck.  Of  course  they  wished  to  know  what 
was  to  be  done,  and  hastened  on  deck.  The  cook,  by 
permission  of  the  captain,  was  going  on  board  of  the 
Young  America,  in  the  boat,  with  two  of  the  stewards, 
to  visit  her  cooks  ;  and  Murdock  obtained  a  passage 
with  them.  The  banknotes  were  warm  in  his  pocket, 
and  he  could  not  feel  easy  till  he  had  disposed  of  them. 


TOUNG    AMERICA    IX    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       225 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

THE    KNIGHTS    OF    THE    RED    CROSS. 

MURDOCK  was  more  troubled  to  know  what  to 
do  with  the  eighty  pounds  in  his  pocket  than 
he  was  about  the  consequences  of  the  crime  he  had 
committed.  When  he  went  on  board  of  the  ship,  he 
saw  Wilton  and  Monroe  sitting  on  the  rail,  engaged 
in  conversation  ;  but  he  noticed  that  they  stopped  talk 
ing  when  he  approached  them.  He  was  satisfied  they 
were  engaged  in  forbidden  schemes,  but  he  was  too 
much  occupied  with  his  own  affair  to  trouble  himself 
with  theirs.  He  went  down  into  the  steerage. 

One  of  the  cooks  had  opened  the  scuttle,  and  gone 
to  one  of  the  store-rooms  in  the  hold  for  provisions. 
Murdock  looked  down.  The  place  was  as  dark  as 
Erebus ;  but  curiosity,  as  well  as  the  desire  to  find  a 
hiding-place  for  his  ill-gotten  treasure,  induced  him  to 
descend  the  ladder.  He  had  hardly  reached  the  foot 
of  the  steps  before  he  saw  the  cook,  with  a  lantern  and 
a  basket  of  stores,  approaching  the  scuttle.  -Retreat 
ing  behind  a  row  of  water-casks,  the  man  did  not  ob 
serve  him,  and,  going  up  the  ladder,  closed  the  scuttle 
after  him. 

Murdock  had  some  matches  in  his  pocket,  and  he 
lighted  one  of  them  so  as  to  enable  him  to  find  a 


326  RED    CROSS,    OR 

suitable  place  for  the  money.  There  are  always  plenty 
of  holes  and  corners  in  the  hold  of  a  ship  ;  and  after 
he  had  burned  half  a  dozen  matches,  he  found  one 
which  suited  him.  Near  one  of  the  store-rooms,  he 
saw  a  quantity  of  empty  bottles,  labelled  ';  Congress 
Water,"  one  of  which  he  took,  and  having  satisfied 
himself  that  the  inside  was  dry,  he  rolled  up  the  bills 
and  thrust  them  into  it.  He  then  concealed  the  bottle 
in  a  crevice  between  the  water-casks.  It  was  not 
probable,  in  his  opinion,  that  any  one  would  think  of 
searching  the  hold  for  the  lost  money,  much  less  the 
inside  of  a  bottle. 

Lighting  another  match,  he  made  his  way  back  to 
the  ladder.  The  scuttle  was  not  fastened  down,  and 
he  raised  it  far  enough  to  ascertain  that  no  one  was  in 
the  steerage,  before  he  came  out.  He  raised  it  a  little 
higher ;  no  one  was  to  be  seen,  but  he  heard  voices 
in  one  of  the  mess-rooms.  Crawling  out  with  the 
utmost  caution,  he  closed  the  scuttle,  and  for  the  first 
time  since  he  left  Captain  Kendall's  state-room,  he  felt 
safe.  He  had  eighty  pounds  in  store  for  a  good  time 
when  he  desired  to  have  one. 

Creeping  on  tiptoe  to  his  mess-room,  so  as  not  to 
disturb  the  persons  whose  voices  he  had  heard,  he 
brushed  the  dirt  from  his  clothes,  and  congratulated 
himself  upon  his  own  cunning.  It  was  true  that  no 
human  eye  had  seen  him  ;  but  the  All-seeing  Eye  had 
been  upon  him  all  the  time.  Though  he  might  con 
ceal  his  evil  deed  from  the  eyes  of  men,  yet  he  could 
not  conceal  it  from  himself  and  from  Him  who  know- 
eth  the  secrets  of  all  hearts. 

Murdock  heard  the  low  murmur  of  voices  still,  and 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGiyVND    AND    WALES.        227 

he  concluded  that  Wilton  and  Monroe  had  retired  to 
the  steerage  to  discuss  the  mischief  they  were  plotting. 
He  had  a  serious  grudge  against  Wilton  for  cheating 
him  out  of  his  money,  and  he  wanted  to  know  the 
subject  of  their  private  conversation.  One  who  was 
not  above  stealing,  even  for  fun,  was  surelv  not  above 
listening,  mean  as  such  a  practice  generally  is.  He 
crept  out  of  his  room,  and  stole  up  to  the  gangway 
leading  to  Wilton's  mess-room. 

"  Knights  of  the  Red  Cross  —  that's  the  name  we'll 
take,"  Murdock  heard  Wilton  say,  in  a  low  tone.  "  I 
have  somewhere  heard  the  term,  but  I  can't  tell 
where." 

"  Knights  of  the  Red  Cross !  "  sneered  Monroe ; 
"  that's  a  bigger  humbug  than  the  Chain  League.  I 
thought  you  were  not  going  to  tell  the  fellows  any 
thing  about  it  till  all  was  ready." 

"  Neither  am  I ;  but  when  tht  time  comes,  we  want 
to  know  who's  who,"  replied  Wilton. 

"  Do  you  expect  it  will  come  before  we  leave  Holy- 
head?" 

"  No ;  we  have  only  thirteen  fellows  in  yet.  I 
hatched  up  this  idea  to-day,  and  it's  a  first-rate  way 
to  know  who  our  fellows  are.  There  is  plenty  of  red 
chalk  on  board  to  make  the  crosses  with." 

"  I  don't  see  what  you  want  to  make  any  crosses 
for,  if  you  don't  want  the  knights  to  know  each 
>ther." 

"  Tom  Perth  says  they  must  know  each  other  ;  they 
won't  stand  it  if  they  don't.  Greenway  says  he  won't 
have  anything  to  do  with  it,  if  Perth  don't  tell  who's 
going  in." 


228  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Then  the  whole  thing  will  be  blowed  in  a  short 
time." 

"  You  are  always  croaking,  Ike  Monroe.  Don't 
you  see  the  fellows  will  think  more  of  it,  and  keep  the 
secret  twice  as  well,  if  we  make  a  big  thing  of  it,  and 
give  it  a  high-sounding  title,  like  the  Knights  of  the 
Red  Cross?" 

Monroe  always  grumbled,  but  he  always  did  what 
he  was  told  to  do  by  his  leader.  He  consented  to  be 
come  a  Knight  of  the  Red  Cross,  and  Wilton  explained 
that  each  fellow  in  the  ring  would  wear  a  red  cross  on 
the  left  lapel  of  his  jacket. 

"  Any  fellow  can  put  that  on  his  jacket,  and  every 
fellow  will  see  it,  and  want  to  know  what  it  means," 
Monroe  objected. 

"  If  two  wearing  the  red  cross  meet,  one  must  place 
his  forefinger  across  the  forefinger  of  the  other.  When 
I  meet  you  I  cross  your  forefinger,  and  say, '  Are  you 
a  Red-Cross  Knight?'  You  reply,  'I  am.'  I  ask, 
'  Has  your  back  been  chalked  ? '  You  answer,  '  It 
has.'  I  ask,  'Who  chalked  it?'  You  say,  '  A  Red 
Knight  of  the  Red  Cross  chalked  it  red.'  Then  you 
are  all  right." 

Monroe  was  rather  pleased  with  this  form  ;  and  the 
two  Knights  of  the  Red  Cross  went  through  the  dia 
logue  till  they  could  say  it  perfectly.  So  could  M'.  r- 
dock ;  but  the  enterprise  in  which  the  Knights  were 
to  engage  was  not  explained,  and  he  was  disappointed 
in  not  being  able  to  learn  the  nature  of  the  mischief 
to  be  accomplished,  when  "•  the  time  came." 

"Where's  Murdock?"  asked  Monroe,  when  the 
means  by  which  one  Knight  was  to  know  another 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.     22CJ 

had  been  fully  rehearsed.  "  How  do  you  know  he 
hasn't  heard  what  we  have  been  saying?  " 

"  We  have  spoken  in  a  low  tone.  The  last  I  saw 
of  the  greeny,  he  was  on  deck,"  replied  Wilton. 

Murdock,  from  motives  of  delicacy,  thought  it  was 
time  to  withdraw,  and  he  crawled  back  to  his  room, 
threw  off  his  jacket,  and  rolled  into  his  berth.  Wilton 
was  an  active  Knight,  and  when  it  was  suggested  that 
the  secrets  of  the  fraternity  had  been  overheard,  he 
wished  to  satisfy  himself  on  this  important  point. 
Before  going  on  deck,  he  looked  in  Murdock's  mess- 
room.  There  he  lay  in  his  berth,  sound  asleep  appar 
ently,  and  it  was  not  possible  that  he  had  heard 
anything.  Wilton  examined  the  sleeper ;  but  one 
who  was  cunning  enough  to  rob  his  father's  counting- 
room,  even  "  for  fun,"  was  in  this  instance  smart 
enough  to  be  "  caught  napping  ;  "  and  the  conspirator 
did  not  even  suspect  that  he  was  wide  awake.  He 
was  satisfied,  and  went  on  deck  with  Monroe. 

Murdock  remained  in  his  berth  thinking  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Red  Cross,  and  wondering  what  they 
were  going  to  do  when  the  time  came  ;  but  he  was 
determined,  as  soon  as  he  saw  any  student  with  the 
cross  on  the  lapel  of  his  jacket,  to  join  the  associa 
tion,  and  pretend  to  know  all  about  it. 

The  boats  of  the  Josephine  pulled  for  the  shore, 
where  Paul  joined  Dr.  Winstock,  and  explored  the 
place.  Holyhead  is  on  a  small  island,  separated  by 
a  narrow  strait  from  the  larger  island  of  Anglesea, 
which  is  itself  separated  from  Wales  by  the  Menai 
Strait.  It  is  the  point  of  Great  Britain  which  lies 
nearest  to  Dublin,  and  derives  its  importance  princi- 
20 


230  RED    CROSS,    OR 

pally  from  this  fact.  It  is  the  terminus  of  the  railway 
from  Chester,  by  which  all  the  quick  travel  to  Ireland 
is  carried  on.  As  a  harbor  of  refuge  for  ships  bound 
in  or  out  of  Liverpool,  Holyhead  has  obtained  a 
national  importance,  and  upwards  of  half  a  million 
pounds  has  been  expended  upon  its  improvement. 
An  immense  breakwater  has  been  extended  before  the 
place,  and  a  large  portion  of  Holyhead  Mountain, 
which  frowned  uselessly  above  the  town,  has  been 
moved  into  the  sea,  to  protect  the  shipping  from  the 
north-west  gales  which  blow  remorselessly  down  the 
Irish  Sea. 

Except  the  breakwater,  the  pier,  and  the  harbor, 
there  \vas  not  much  in  Holyhead  for  the  boys  to  see. 
At  the  entrance  to  the  pier  there  is  an  arch  built  of 
Mona  marble,  to  commemorate  the  landing  of  George 
IV.  in  1821.  On  the  western  part  of  the  island  is  the 
South  Stack  Light-house,  the  point  for  which  a  ship 
from  the  United  States  to  Liverpool  runs,  after  leaving 
Tuskar. 

The  distance  across  the  channel,  from  Holyhead  to 
Kingstown,  is  sixty-three  miles,  and  the  passages  of 
the  mail-steamers  vary  from  four  to  four  and  a  half 
hours.  There  are  three  boats  a  day  to  Kingstown, 
and  the  whole  distance  from  London  to  the  Irish  me 
tropolis  is  accomplished  in  less  than  fourteen  hours. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  the  boats  of  the  Josephine 
pulled  for  their  vessel,  but  those  of  the  ship  had  to 
wait  for  some  of  her  crew.  Paul  had  not  thought  of 
the  key  to  his  iron  box  during  the  afternoon,  but  in 
the  boat  he  happened  to  put  his  hand  into  the  pocket 
where  he  usually  kept  it,  and  then  missed  it.  He  was 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       231 

startled  at  first,  but  when  he  considered  that  all  hands 
had  been  on  shore,  he  was  confident  that  his  valuables 
could  not  have  been  disturbed. 

When  he  went  on  board,  he  hastened  down  into  the 
cabin  to  ascertain  what  had  become  of  his  key.  On 
the  table  he  saw  his  overcoat.  He  did  not  remember 
that  he  had  left  it  there.  Taking  the  garment  on  his 
arm,  he  entered  his  state-room.  The  safe  was  in  its 
place,  securely  locked,  but  the  key  was  not  to  be  seen. 
He  felt  in  all  his  pockets  again,  and  exa'mined  every 
part  of  his  room.  While  he  was  searching  for  it,  the 
purser  came  to  the  door  with  the  small  silver  he  had 
procured  in  exchange  for  the  notes. 

"  I've  lost  my  key,"  said  Paul,  who  was  now  suffer 
ing  from  anxiety. 

"  Lost  it !  "  exclaimed  Ritchie,  the  acting  purser. 

"  I  cannot  tell  what  has  become  of  it." 

"  Perhaps  you  lost  it  while  you  were  on  shore." 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  possible.  If  I  had  been  turning 
somersets,  or  anything  of  that  kind,  it  might  have 
slipped  out  of  my  pocket ;  but  I  hardly  sat  down 
while  on  shore,  and  I  don't  see  how  it  could  have 
jumped  out,"  added  the  captain,  as  he  took  his  over 
coat  out  of  the  berth  where  he  had  thrown  it,  and 
hung  it  upon  a  hook. 

Something  had  struck  against  the  partition  as  he 
did  so,  and  thrusting  his  hand  into  the  side  pocket  of 
the  coat,  he  drew  forth  the  lost  key. 

"  Here  it  is  !  "  exclaimed  he  ;  and  a  gleam  of  pleas 
ure  lighted  up  his  face.  *'  I  didn't  see  how  it  was 
possible  for  me  to  lose  it.  I'm  fortunate  this  time ; 
but  I'm  going  to  have  this  key  tied  to  me,  so  that  I 
can't  lose  it  if  I  try." 


232  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I'm  glad  you  have  found  it,"  replied  Ritchie,  as 
he  handed  Paul  the  silver  he  had  brought  off. 

The  young  commander  was  happy  now,  for  a 
heavy  burden  of  anxiety  had  suddenly  been  removed 
from  his  mind.  What  would  Mr.  Lowington  say  if 
ke  had  lost  that  key?  Would  it  not  prove  that  he  was 
not  fit  for  the  responsible  position  in  which  he  had 
been  placed?  Paul  was  disposed  to  judge  himself 
more  harshly  than  he  judged  others  ;  and  this,  within 
reasonable  limits,  is  a  safe  policy.  But  if  he  had  lost 
the  key,  he  would  have  done  no  more  than  the  princi 
pal  himself.  It  was  an  inexpressible  relief  to  find  the 
key,  and  it  was  a  better  fate  than  had  attended  that  of 
the  Young  America's  safe. 

Poor  Paul !  How  soon  was  all  this  self-gi'atulation 
to  be  exchanged  for  a  state  of  feeling  bordering  on 
despair !  He  opened  the  safe,  and  looked  in  as  he 
was  about  to  deposit  the  silver  in  it.  He  had  left  the 
bank  notes  on  the  top  of  the  loose  gold.  He  did  not 
see  them  where  he  had  placed  them  in  his  hurry.  He 
pulled  the  safe  out  from  under  the  berth,  raised  the 
papers  it  contained,  and  the  cold  sweat  stood  on  his 
brow  as  he  realized  that  the  bills  were  not  there.  He 
was  appalled  at  the  discovery.  If  it  had  been  his 
own  money,  though  the  loss  of  it  deprived  him  of  any 
coveted  joy,  he  would  not  have  suffered  half  so  much. 
He  took  the  silver  from  the  purser,  and  dropped  it 
into  the  box. 

"Ask  Mr.  Terrill  to  come  to  me,  if  you  please," 
said  he,  dropping  upon  his  sofa,  as  though  life  had  no 
further  joys  for  him. 

Ritchie  saw  that  something  was  the  matter  with  his 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.     233 

captain,  but  he  knew  not  what.  Being  a  good  officer, 
he  asked  no  question  of  his  superior,  but  hastened  to 
obey  the  order.  Paul  tried  to  think ;  to  recall  what 
he  could  in  regard  to  the  key ;  but  he  was  stunned  by 
the  loss,  and  his  mind  was  confused.  Perhaps  there 
was  some  mistake,  after  all,  as  there  had  been  about 
the  key.  He  was  willing  to  believe  that  in  his  hurried 
departure  from  the  vessel,  he  had  put  the  key  into  the 
pocket  of  his  overcoat,  instead  of  his  pants,  where 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  carrying  it.  He  remembered 
nothing  about  it,  and  he  could  only  take  the  evidence 
of  the  facts  as  he  found  them.  It  did  not  seem  possi 
ble  that  any  one  had  stolen  the  money. 

Opening  the  safe  again,  he  took  out  the  papers,  un 
folded  them  all,  and  assured  himself  that  the  money 
was  actually  gone.  Whatever  was  strange,  there  was 
no  doubt  about  this  disagreeable  fact.  He  had  found 
the  safe  locked,  and  the  key  in  his  overcoat,  where 
he  had  doubtless  left  it.  Overwhelmed  by  his  misfor 
tune,  and  forgetting  the  unswerving  kindness  of  Mr. 
Lowington,  he  gave  himself  up  to  despair.  The  tears 
started  in  his  eyes,  and  he  concluded  that  he  was  not 
fit  to  command  the  Josephine.  While  he  was  thus 
weeping,  and  thus  feeling  that  he  had  sacrificed  all 
claims  to  the  consideration  of  Mr.  Lowington,  the 
first  lieutenant  entered  the  state-room. 

"  Terrill,  I  am  ruined ! "  he  exclained,  in  tones 
which  left  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  executive 
officer  that  something  terrible  had  occurred. 

"Why,  Captain  Kendall,  what  is  the  matter?"  de 
manded  Terrill,  astonished  and  alarmed  at  the  aspect 
and  the  words  of  the  commander. 
20* 


234  RED   CROSS,    OR 

"  I  left  eighty  pounds  in  Bank  of  England  notes  in 
the  safe  when  I  went  on  shore,  and  now  they  are 
gone,"  replied  Paul,  with  a  kind  of  gasp  which  star 
tled  the  executive  officer. 

"  Gone ! " 

"  Gone  !  Eighty  pounds,  in  Bank  of  England  notes, 
gone,  —  about  four  hundred  dollars." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  the  money  has  been  stolen?" 

"  I  don't  know  whether  it  has  been  stolen  or  not ;  I 
only  know  that  it  is  gone,"  replied  Paul,  with  a  shud 
der.  "  I  had  a  hundred  pounds  in  bills,  besides  the 
gold  and  silver.  I  took  out  twenty  pounds  for  Ritchie 
to  exchange  for  small  silver,  and  put  the  rest  back  into 
the  safe.  It  is  gone  now." 

"  But  how  can  it  be  gone,  if  you  had  the  key  ? " 
asked  Terrill,  fully  sympathizing  with  his  commander 
in  the  distress  of  the  hour." 

"  I  don't  know,  —  I  can't  understand  it.  I  only 
know  that  I  left  the  money  in  the  safe,  and  now  it  is 
gone,"  answered  Paul,  not  at  all  comforted  by  the  dis 
may  of  Terrill. 

"Did  you  find  the  safe  locked,  as  you  left  it?" 
asked  the  first  lieutenant. 

Paul  stated  all  the  circumstances  as  he  understood 
them  ;  that  he  had  locked  the  safe  and  put  the  key 
into  the  pocket  of  his  overcoat,  instead  of  his  pants, 
as  was  his  custom ;  that  he  had  forgotten  to  take  his 
overcoat  with  him,  and  had  left  it  on  the  cabin  table, 
where  he  had  found  it  on  his  return. 

"  It  is  clear  enough  that  somebody  has  fished  your 
pocket  during  your  absence,  opened  the  safe,  and 
taken  the  money,"  replied  Terrill,  when  he  had  lis 
tened  to  the  captain's  statement. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      235 

"  Of  course  the  money  did  not  leave  the  safe  with 
out  some  help,"  replied  Paul.  "None  of  those  who 
went  on  shore  with  us  could  have  taken  it.  Now, 
who  was  left  on  board  ?  " 

"  No  one  but  McLeish,"  replied  Terrill,  who  did  not 
know  that  Spenser  Murdock  had  spent  half  an  hour 
in  the  Josephine  after  the  boats  left. 

"Would  McLeish  do  such  a  thing?"  asked  Paul, 
anxiously. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  shouldn't  like  to  charge  him,  or 
any  other  fellow,  with  such  a  thing  without  some  evi 
dence." 

"We  must  look  into  this  matter  without  delay," 
added  the  captain.  "  WThere  is  Mr.  Briskett?" 

"  He  is  in  the  cabin." 

"  Send  him  in,  if  you  please." 

The  head  steward,  who  had  not  left  the  vessel  that 
day,  informed  Paul  that  Spenser  Murdock  had  been 
on  board  by  permission  of  the  principal,  and  returned 
in  the  boat  which  conveyed  the  cook  to  the  ship. 
Captain  Kendall  did  not  know  that  the  new  hand  had 
robbed  the  counting-room  «of  his  father's  mill  "  for 
fun,"  and  was  not  disposed  to  suspect  him  of  so  seri 
ous  a  crime  as  the  stealing  of  the  money. 

"  Where  was  McLeish  during  the  afternoon?  "  asked 
Paul. 

"  He  was  in  the  steerage  most  of  the  time,  I  think ; 
at  least  I  saw  him  there  several  times,"  replied  Mr. 
Briskett. 

"  Where  were  you?" 

"  I  was  on  deck  part  of  the  time,  and  in  the  cabin 
part  of  the  time,"  answered  the  steward,  uneasily,  for 


2%6  RED    CROSS,    OR 

the  captain  had  not  yet  told  him  why  he  asked  these 
questions. 

"  How  long  were  you  on  deck?" 

"  I  can't  tell  precisely  how  long  ;  perhaps  t\vo  hours 
after  the  boats  left  the  vessel." 

"  I  only  wish  to  ascertain  what  you  know  in  re 
gard  to  the  movements  of  the  two  students  who 
were  on  board,"  added  the  captain,  when  he  per 
ceived  that  the  steward  was  fretting  under  the  ex 
amination. 

"  I  did  not  particularly  notice  them,  Captain  Ken 
dall,"  replied  Mr.  Briskett,  with  a  more  cheerful  aspect 
when  he  was  satisfied  that  he  was  not  himself  sus 
pected  of  a  wrong  act.  "  Murdock  was  not  on  board 
more  than  half  an  hour.  I  was  on  the  forecastle  talk 
ing  with  the  cook  when  the  boats  left  the  schooner. 
Murdock  walked  about  the  deck  a  while,  and  then 
went  below.  McLeish  was  on  the  fore-topsail-yard ; 
but  he  soon  came  down  and  went  below.  The  cook 
told  me  he  had  permission  to  visit  the  ship  in  the 
third  cutter,  and  I  sent  the  two  steerage  stewards 
with  him.  While  we  wdre  getting  out  the  boat,  both 
of  the  students  came  up,  and  Murdock  went  off  in 
the  boat." 

"Did  either  of  them  come  into  the  cabin?"  asked 
Paul. 

"  I  don't  know  that  they  did.  Neither  of  them 
could  have  been  in  the  cabin  when  the  cutter  was 
lowered,  for  we  had  hardly  touched  the  falls  before 
both  of  them  came  on  deck." 

"  How  long  had  Murdock  been  below  when 
McLeish  went  down  ? " 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND  .AND   WALES.      237 

"  Not  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  I  should 
say,  but  I  did  not  take  particular  notice." 

u  After  the  third  cutter  left,  where  was  McLeish  ?  " 

"  He  went  below  again.  When  I  went  down,  in 
about  two  hours,  he  was  writing  at  a  mess  table." 

From  all  this  evidence,  it  appeared  that  Murdock 
had  not  been  on  board  more  than  half  an  hour  after 
the  boats  left ;  that  he  had  been  below  alone  not  more 
than  fifteen  minutes,  and  that  he  had  come  on  deck 
with  McLeish  when  the  stewards  began  to  lower  the 
cutter  ;  that  McLeish  had  been  in  the  steerage  alone 
about  two  hours.  Paul  then  told  the  head  steward 
that  eighty  pounds  had  been  taken  from  his  safe. 

"•  I  hope  you  don't  think  I  took  it,  Captain  Kendall," 
added  Air.  Briskett,  with  a  blush. 

"  Certainly  not ;  such  a  thought  never  entered  my 
head.  You  will  not  mention  what  I  have  told  you  to 
any  one  at  present." 

"  I  will  not,  Captain  Kendall ;  but  I  would  rather 
have  given  a  year's  salary  than  had  such  a  thing  hap 
pen  on  board.  McLeish  must  have  stolen  it,"  added 
the  steward." 

"Why  McLeish?" 

"  Because  it  is  not  possible  that  any  one  else  could 
have  done  it.  I  am  sure  that  none  of  the  men  went 
into  the  cabin  during  the  afternoon,  except  myself. 
I  am  certain  of  that ;  so  the  loss  of  the  money  lies 
between  the  two  students  and  me." 

"  Of  course  I  have  not  the  remotest  suspicion  that 
you  took  the  notes,  Mr.  Briskett,"  added  Paul,  troubled 
by  the  manner  of  the  steward.  "  It  lies  between  the 
two  students." 


238  v.  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I  know  that  I  didn't  take  them,  Captain  Kendall. 
Murdock  was  on  board  only  a  short  time  ;  not  long 
enough,  it  seems  to  me,  to  find  that  the  safe-key  was 
in  your  coat  pocket,  that  your  safe  was  under  your 
berth,  and  that  it  contained  money.  It  would  have 
taken  him  some  time  after  he  found  the  key  in  the 
coat  on  the  cabin  table  to  discover  what  it  belonged  to, 
and  then  to  open  it,  take  out  the  bills,  and  put  things 
as  he  found  them.  I  don't  believe  it  was  Murdock." 

If  Paul  had  known  that  he  left  the  kev  in  the  safe, 
it  would  have  changed  the  whole  aspect  of  the  affair. 
It  followed,  therefore,  from  the  testimony  of  the  stew 
ard,  that  McLeish  was  the  guilty  one.  He  was  bad 
enough  to  do  anything.  Perhaps  he  was  preparing 
to  run  away.  It  was  even  possible  that  he  had  been 
impudent  for  the  purpose  of  being  left  on  board,  and 
had  gone  into  the  boat  in  order  to  manifest  an  anxiety 
to  visit  the  shore.  Paul,  while  willing  to  give  the 
reprobate  every  opportunity  to  reform,  had  not  had 
much  confidence  in  his  good  resolutions. 

But  the  evidence  against  him  was  all  negative  in  its 
character.  There  was  nothing  to  show  that  he  had 
entered  the  cabin.  As  the  theft  lay  between  him  and 
Mtirdock,  it  was  only  more  probable  that  McLeish 
was  the  guilty  one.  Paul  went  on  deck,  and  sent  for 
the  presumed  culprit.  Without  making  any  charge 
against  him,  he  asked  where  and  how  he  had  spent 
the  afternoon.  The  answers  were  all  straightforward 
and  direct.  McLeish  detailed  minutely  where  he  had 
been  and  what  he  had  done. 

"  Did  you  go  into  the  cabin  this  afternoon?"  asked 
Paul. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      239 

"  No,  sir ;  I  did  not,"  answered  McLeish,  as  square 
as  a  brick. 

"  Have  you  seen  my  overcoat  anywhere  ?  " 

"  I  have  not.     Have  you  lost  your  overcoat?" 

"  No  ;  that  is  all,  McLeish." 

"  I  hope  I'm  not  charged  with  anything  bad,"  added 
the  Scotch  boy. 

"  I  have  not  charged  you  with  anything,"  replied 
Paul,  perplexed  beyond  measure  by  the  square  an 
swers  of  the  supposed  culprit.  "  Mr.  Terrill,  have 
the  gig  manned,  if  you  please,"  he  continued,  turning 
to  the  first  lieutenant  in  order  to  avoid  McLeish,  who 
began  to  exhibit  some  signs  of  wrath  when  he  felt 
that  he  was  suspected  of  something  without  being  in 
formed  what  it  was. 

Paul  stepped  into  his  gig,  and  directed  the  coxswain 
to  pull  for  the  ship.  Arriving  on  board,  he  had  an 
interview  with  Mr.  Lowington  in  the  main  cabin,  and 
with  a  woful  expression  on  his  handsome  face,  and 
occasionally  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  told  him  all  about 
the  loss  of  the  eighty  pounds. 

"  Don't  take  it  so  sorely  to  heart,  Captain  Kendall," 
said  the  principal,  kindly. 

"  It  was  all  my  own  carelessness,  sir." 

"  Perhaps  you  were  a  little  careless ;  you  certainly 
were,  if  you  left  the  key  of  the  safe  in  your  overcoat 
on  board  when  you  went  on  shore,"  added  Air.  Low 
ington,  mildly,  and  with  a  pleasant  smile. 

"  I  think  I  had  better  resign  my  place  as  captain 
of  the  Josephine,"  added  Paul,  bitterly,  as  the  tears 
coursed  down  his  cheeks.  "  Or  perhaps  you  will 
remove  me." 


240  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  My  dear  Paul,"  said  the  principal,  taking  him  by 
the  hand,  "  if  we  are  all  to  be  judged  as  harshly  as  you 
judge  yourself,  I  think  none  of  us  can  stand  up  any 
longer.  The  truth  requires  me  to  say  that  you  were 
careless,  but  it  is  worth  more  than  eighty  pounds  for 
you  to  learn  the  lesson  which  the  loss  of  it  has  taught 
you.  Great  battles  have  been  lost  by  a  little  careless 
ness  ;  nations  and  dynasties  have  been  swept  away 
by  it.  I  do  not  reprove  you,  Paul.  By  a  similar  act 
of  carelessness  on  my  part,  sixty  pounds  was  taken 
from  the  ship's  safe.  Do  you  think  I  ought  to  resign 
because  I  was  careless  then  ?  " 

"  It  is  different  with  you,  sir." 

"  Perhaps  it  is,  but  I  will  not  judge  you  more 
harshly  than  I  judge  myself.  I  do  not  know  to  this 
day  how  Wilton  got  into  the  ship's  safe  ;  but  I  have 
no  doubt  I  left  the  key  where  he  found  it." 

Mr.  Lowington  opened  the  safe  and  took  eighty 
pounds  in  bills  from  it,  which  he  handed  to  Paul. 
He  spoke  words  of  comfort  to  him,  but  he  could  not 
entirelv  remove  the  sense  of  guilt  which  weighed 
down  the  young  commander.  He  was  deeply  moved 
by  the  kindness  of  the  principal,  and  felt  that  he  did 
not  deserve  so  much  consideration.  He  was  instructed 
to  inform  all  his  officers  of  the  loss  of  the  money,  and 
direct  them  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  any  suspicious 
circumstances  that  might  transpire,  but  on  no  account 
to  permit  any  of  the  crew  to  know  that  the  safe  had 
been  robbed.  He  was  advised  to  use  the  strictest 
vigilance  to  prevent  the  culprit,  whoever  he  was, 
from  running  away  ;  for  this  would  doubtless  be  his 
next  step.  Paul  returned  on  board,  Mr.  Lowington 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      2^1. 

declining    to    express    an    opinion    in    regard    to    the 
guilt  of  McLeish. 

The  principal  was  greatly  annoyed  at  the  event 
which  had  transpired  on  board  of  the  Josephine ;  but, 
knowing  the  -antecedents  of  Murdock,  he  was  not  so 
sure  that  he  was  not  the  guilty  party.  After  thinking 
of  the  unpleasant  affair  for  a  time,  he  sent  for  the  new 
hand,  and  questioned  him  very  closely  in  regard  to  his 
movements  while  on  board  of  the  Josephine.  Mur 
dock  had  not  expected  to  escape  questioning  in  regard 
to  the  money,  and  he  had  carefully  schooled  himself 
to  give  the  right  kind  of  replies.  He  told  just  where 
he  had  been  on  board  of  the  schooner,  only  denying 
that  he  had  been  in  the  cabin,  and  declaring  that  he 
had  spent  all  his  time  on  deck  or  in  the  steerage. 
He  had  not  seen  Captain  Kendall's  overcoat  —  did 
not  know  that  he  had  any  overcoat. 

"The  safe  of  the  Josephine  .has  been  robbed  of 
eighty  pounds  in  Bank  of  England  notes,  Murdock," 
added  the  principal. 

"Has  it,  indeed?"  replied  Murdock,  opening  his 
eyes  with  well-feigned  surprise. 

"  As  you  were  on  board,  I  thought  it  possible  you 
might  know  something  about  it." 

"Do  you  think  I  took  the  money,  sir?"  demanded 
the  new  hand. 

"  Who  took  it  is  still  an  open  question,"  added 
Mr.  Lowington.  "  Did  you  see  any  one  go  into  the 
cabin?" 

"No,  sir,  I  did  not.     I  hope  you  will  search  me 
and  my  things,  sir  ;  for  I  don't  wish  to  be  accused  of 
an  act  I'm  not  guilty  of,"  protested  Murdock. 
21 


242  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  I  do  not  accuse  you.     I  desire  information." 

"  You  should  search  me,  sir." 

Mr.  Lowington  declined  to  go  through  with  such  a 
useless  formality,  and  dismissed  Murdock. 

The  principal  had  directed  Paul  not  to  allow  any 
of  the  crew  of  the  Josephine  to  be  informed  that  the 
money  had  been  stolen  ;  but  he  had  himself  told  one 
of  the  crew  of  the  Young  America.  He  was  satisfied 
that,  if  Murdock  was  innocent,  he  would  communicate 
the  fact  of  the  robbery  to  others,  and  within  a  few 
hours  the  information  would  be  patent  to  every  student 
on  board ;  while,  if  he  were  guilty,  he  would  not  be 
likely  to  mention  it  to  any  person.  He  intended,  be 
fore  any  one  went  on  shore  again,  to  inform  the  officers 
of  the  ship  of  the  theft,  and,  as  they  mingled  with  the 
crew  when  off  duty,  they  could  inform  him  whether 
the  secret  was  known  or  not. 

It  had  been  announced,  since  the  return  of  the  party, 
that  on  the  following  day,  after  recitations,  the  students 
would  start  upon  a  three  days'  trip  into  Wales.  Mur 
dock  wanted  the  money  he  had  concealed  in  the  hold 
for  this  excursion  ;  but  he  watched  vainly  for  an  oppor 
tunity  to  obtain  it.  Somebody  seemed  to  be  looking  at 
him  all  the  time,  and  the  scuttle  was  not  raised  when 
there  were  not  twenty  students  in  the  steerage. 

After  the  regular  studies  had  been  disposed  of,  and 
dinner  was  over  the  signal,  for  "  all  hands,  attend  lee. 
ture,"  was  hoisted  at  the  peak  of  the  ship. 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND   AND   WALES.    243 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A  TRAMP  THROUGH  SNOWDONIA. 

AFTER  dinner,  when  the  signal  for  the  lecture 
had  been  displayed,  the  principal  assembled  the 
officers  in  the  after-cabin,  and  informed  them  of  the 
robbery  ;  but  not  one  of  them  had  heard  a  word  altout 
it  before.  He  instructed  them  not  to  mention  it  to  any 
seaman,  and  required  them  to  keep  a  close  watch  upon 
the  hands.  Mr.  Lowington  was  a  just  man,  and  the 
fact  that  Murdock  had  not  mentioned  the  theft  was,  in 
his  estimation,  insufficient  evidence  upon  which  to 
charge  him  with  the  crime  ;  but  it  justified  him  in  caus 
ing  a  strict  watch  to  be  kept  over  the  suspected  person, 
He  was  not  to  be  accused  till  better  evidence  was  ob 
tained,  but  all  his  actions  were  to  be  carefully  noted, 
and  their  significance  observed. 

"  Have  you  obtained  any  further  information,  Cap-* 
tain  Kendall,   in   regard  to  the  money?"  asked  Mr. 
Lowington,  when  Paul  came  on  board. 

"  No,  sir,  none  at  all,  I  am  sorry  to  say.  All  the 
officers  think  McLeish  did  it,"  replied  the  young  com 
mander.  "  They  all  wanted  to  have  him  searched." 

"  Don't  permit  it  to  be  done,  and  make  no  charges 
against  him  till  you  have  consulted  with  me,"  added 
the  principal. 


244  RED  CROSSJ  °R 

"  McLeish  is  quite  surly  to-day." 

"  I  am  not  surprised  at  that,  after  the  questions  you 
asked  him  yesterday.  He  evidently  thinks  he  is  sus 
pected  of  something,  and  don't  know  what.  Let  your 
officers  treat  him  kindly,  and  not  notice  any  surliness 
which  does  not  amount  to  positive  disrespect.  If  he 
is  innocent,  he  feels  hurt  by  the  suspicions  your  ques 
tions  indicated." 

"  He  told  some  of  the  hands  that  he  had  been  ac 
cused  of  stealing  my  overcoat." 

u  That  remark  is  in  his  favor.  This  is  very  delicate 
business,  and  we  must  all  be  cautious  while  we  are 
vigilant." 

All  hands  were  piped  to  the  steerage  to  hear  what 
Professor  Mapps  had  to  say  about  Wales.  The  map 
of  Great  Britain  hung  upon  the  foremast,  but  the 
learned  gentleman  appeared  to  be  nervous,  and  com 
plained  that  he  had  but  half  an  hour  for  his  lecture, 
and  he  could  not  possibly  do  justice  to  the  subject  in 
that  time.  Wales  was  a  very  interesting  country,  and 
he  could  hardly  allude  to  Owen  Glendower,  the  last 
of  the  Welsh  chieftains.  The  professdr  did  what 
many  eminent  men  do  who  are  allowed  but  a  brief 
«  period  to  make  a  speech  —  he  used  up  one  sixth  of 
his  time  in  regretting  that  he  had  so  little  time.  But 
the  students,  with  their  bags  and  blankets  ready  for  a 
start,  thought  that  half  an  hour  was  long  enough  ;  and 
most  of  them  would  have  voted  that  any  professor  who 
occupied  more  than  half  an  hour  at  one  time,  in  his 
lecture,  ought  to  be  committed  to  the  brig  on  bread 
and  water  for  twenty-four  hours. 

"Young  gentlemen,  what  is  Wales?"  asked  Mr. 
Mapps,  when  he  had  finished  his  exordium. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.     245 

"  Where  they  strike  ile,"  replied  Duncan,  the  new 
hand  of  the  Josephine,  who  appeared  not  to  have  the 
fear  of  professors  before  his  eyes. 

"  No  levity,  young  gentlemen  !  "  added  the  profess 
or,  rather  sternly. 

"  I've  always  heard  that  oil  came  from  whales,"  re 
plied  Duncan,  meekly,  as  he  adjusted  his  eye-glass, 
and  looked  gravely  at  the  instructor. 

"  Bully  for  Speksy  !  "  whispered  Lynch  ;  and  most 
of  the  students  laughed. 

"  Silence,  young  gentlemen ! "  exclaimed  Mr. 
Mapps.  "  I  asked  what  Wales  was." 

"•  It's  what  a  fellow  finds  on  his  back  when  he  has 
had  a  licking,"  replied  Little,  one  of  the  "  greenies." 

"  No  more  of  this,  young  gentlemen,"  interposed 
the  principal  ;  and  his  word  was  sufficient,  though 
that  of  the  professor  was  not  always  heeded. 

u  Wales  is  a  part  of  Great  Britain,"  answered  one 
of  the  students. 

"  Is  it,  indeed?  "  replied  the  professor.  "  You  must 
have  burned  the  midnight  oil  to  learn  that." 

This  was  spoken  in  a  sneering  way,  and  the  boy 
who  had  given  the  answer  in  good  faith  was  hurt  in 
his  feelings  by  its  tone.  Mr.  Lowington  frowned  upon 
the  teacher,  for  he  would  noj:  permit  an  honest  an 
swer,  however  foolish,  to  be  ridiculed,  for  sneers  are 
always  discouraging  to  a  boy  who  is  trying  to  do  his 
duty.  To  a  careless,  indifferent  student,  a  little 
ridicule  is  sometimes  wholesome  and  beneficial. 

Everybody  was  silent,  for  no  one  knew  what  the 
professor  meant.  It  was  a  question  which  could  be 
correctly  answered  in  a  dozen  different  ways. 


246  RED    CROSS,    OR 

'•  Wales  is  a  principality,"  continued  Mr.  Mapps, 
more  mildly  —  for  he  had  probably  seen  the  frown  upon 
the  face  of  Mr.  Lowington  —  "  deriving  this  name  from 
the  fact  that  its  ruler,  even  before  it  was  subjugated  by 
Britain,  was  a  prince.  Wales  is  about  one  hundred 
and  forty  miles  long  from  north  to  south,  and  about 
ninety  in  breadth  from  east  to  west.  Its  area  and 
population  are  about  the  same  as  those  of  Massachu 
setts.  It  has  three  hundred  miles  of  coast  line,  having 
the  waters  of  the  Irish  Sea  on  the  north,  of  St.  George's 
Channel  on  the  west,  and  of  Bristol  Channel  on  the 
south.  It  contains  twelve  counties,  and  is  entitled  to 
twenty-nine  members  in  the  House  of  Commons. 

"  Wales  is  wholly  a  mountainous  region,  and 
abounds  in  the  richest  mines  of  coal,  iron,  zinc,  lead, 
copper,  and  silver ;  and  mining  is  the  chief  branch  of 
industry  in  the  principality.  More  iron  is  manufac 
tured  in  Wales  than  in  all  the  United  States. 

"  The  climate  of  Wales  is  very  moist ;  the  annual 
fall  of  rain  is  forty-five  and  a  half  inches,  the  average 
of  the  British  Isles  being  only  thirty-two  inches.  I  am 
glad  to  see  that  you  have  your  overcoats  and  blankets 
ready,  young  gentlemen,  for  you  will  find  the  weather 
among  the  mountains  quite  chilly,  even  at  this  season 
of  the  year. 

"  Swansea  and  Merthyr  Tydvil  are  the  largest 
towns  in  Wales,  the  latter  having  about  fifty  thousand 
inhabitants,  and  the  former  forty  thousand.  The  Lat 
in  name  of  the  country  was  Cambria.  Most  of  the 
people  of  Wales  are  of  Celtic  origin.  While  the 
English  call  them  the  Welsh,  they  choose  to  call 
themselves  the  Cymri.  They  are  a  brave  and  gener- 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.     247 

ous  people,  as  their  traits  of  character  appear  in  the 
history  of  their  country ;  but  they  are  quick-tem 
pered,  impulsive,  and  given  to  superstitions.  The 
progress  of  education  has  improved  the  people  very 
sensibly,  and  their  manners  and  customs  have  greatly 
changed  for  the  better,  though  some  of  their  supersti 
tious  practices  are  still  retained,  one  of  which  I  will 
mention  as  an  illustration. 

"  The  fanaticism  of  the  '  sin-eater'  is  said  to  be  still 
in  vogue  in  some  parts  of  Caermarthenshire.  When 
a  person  dies,  the  relatives  send  for  the  sin-eater  of  the 
district.  After  he  arrives,  a  plate  of  salt,  on  which  a 
piece  of  bread  is  placed,  is  deposited  on  the  breast  of 
the  corpse.  The  functionary  then  repeats  some  mys 
tic  phrases  over  the  bread,  and  finally  eats  it.  By  this 
ceremony  he  is  supposed  to  eat  the  sins  of  the  de 
ceased.  A  fee  of  two  and  sixpence  is  paid  to  him,  and 
he  makes  haste  to  retire  ;  for  having  taken  upon  him 
self  the  sins  of  the  dead  of  his  district,  of  course  he 
must  be  a  very  wicked  man,  and  the  friends  banish 
him  with  kicks  and  blows  from  their  presence. 

"  At  Tenby,  near  Milford  Haven,  a  very  pleasant 
New  Year's  custom  was  formerly  prevalent.  The 
children  of  the  neighborhood  gather  together  on  the 
morning  of  the  first  day  of  the  year,  and  visit  the 
houses  in  the  vicinity  of  their  homes.  Having  knocked 
and  gained  admission  to  a  house,  they  sprinkle  the 
furniture  with  water,  singing,  at  the  same  time,  a 
couple  of  fantastic  verses,  which  I  shall  ask  Mr.  Mo- 
delle  to  read  to  you." 

Mr.  Mapps  handed  a  book  to  the  professor  of  elo 
cution,  and  he  rea4  these  stanzas :  — 


248  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Here  we  bring  new  water  from  the  well  so  clear 
For  to  worship  God  with  this  happy  new  year. 
Sing  levy  dew,  sing  levy  dew,  the  water  and  the  wine, 
With  seven  bright  golden  wires,  and  bugles  that  do  shine. 

"Sing  reign  of  fair  maid  with  gold  upon  her  toe; 
Open  wide  the -west  door,  and  turn  the  old  year  go. 
Sing  reign  of  fair  maid,  with  gold  upon  her  chin, 
Open  you  the  east  door,  and  let  the  new  year  in." 

"  There  is  much  in  Wales  to  interest  the  antiqua 
rian,"  continued  Mr.  Mapps.  "  Twenty-eight  crom 
lechs  are  to  be  found  in  Anglesea  alone,  and  the  re~ 
mains  of  ancient  British  customs  are  to  be  seen  in  all 
parts  of  the  country.  There  are  also  a  number  of 
Roman  stations,  and  some  evidence  that  the  Romans 
mined  gold  from  the  mountains  of  Cambria  has  been 
discovered. 

"  The  people  of  Wales  take  pride  and  pleasure  in 
their  ancient  origin,  and  cling  earnestly  to  their  pecu 
liar  customs  and  traditions.  Though  English  is  spoken 
in  the  larger  towns,  the  people  of  the  mountains  and 
farming  districts  confine  themselves  to  the  Welsh 
tongue.  Within  six  hours'  ride  of  Holyhead,  you 
will  find  people  who  do  not  know  a  word  of  English, 
and  who  will  answer  your  respectful  inquiry  with  a 
'•Dim  Saesnegj  uttered  in  short,  curt  tones,  as  though 
the  Welsh  language  was  the  only  one  fit  to  be  spoken. 
The  phrase  means  '  No  English.' 

"  Of  the  history  of  Wales  only  a  little  need  be 
said,  even  if  I  had  time  to  say  it.  The  Cymri,  a 
Celtic  tribe,  had  possession  of  the  whole  of  South 
Britain  wherj  the  Romans  first  invaded  the  country 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      249 

They  were  driven  by  the  Latins  into  the  region 
West  of  the  Severn  River,  but  were  never  wholly  con 
quered.  When  the  Anglo-Saxons  had  conquered 
Britain,  they  found  the  Cymri  to  be  a  brave  and  pow 
erful  enemy,  and  they  never  were  able  to  dislodge  them 
from  their  strongholds  in  the  mountains,  though  they 
wrested  from  them  the  territory  lying  between  the  Sev 
ern  and  the  present  eastern  boundary  of  Wales. 

"  In  the  tenth  century,  King  Athelstan  of  England 
partially  conquered  Wales,  and  received  an  annual 
tribute  from  the  people.  They  declined  to  pay  this 
tax  to  William  the  Conqueror,  and  he  invaded  their 
territory,  and  reduced  them  to  submission.  This  is 
the  period  from  which  the  kings  of  England  claimed 
the  supremacy  of  Wales  ;  but  for  hundreds  of  years 
the  Welsh  continued  to  struggle  for  their  indepen 
dence.  In  the  thirteenth  century,  a  civil  war  broke 
out  between  the  ruler  of  North  Wales  and  his  son. 
The  father  appealed  to  the  King  of  England,  Henry 
III.,  to  assist  him  in  recovering  his  authority.  The 
request  was  granted,  with  the  condition  that  the  prince 
should  become  the  vassal  of  England.  The  compact 
was  kept  by  the  ruler  and  his  immediate  successor ; 
but  the  next  prince  was  refractory,  and  a  war  ensued, 
in  which  Edward  I.,  then  King  of  England,  subdued 
the  rebel.  In  a  subsequent  rebellion,  the  disobedient 
vassal  was  killed,  and  Edward  cunningly  obtained  the 
consent  of  the  Welsh  to  the  creation  of  a  Prince  of 
Wales,  who  should  be  a  native  of  their  own  country. 

"  Queen  Eleanor,  wife  of  Edward  I.,  resided  at 
Caernarvon  Casiie,  in  Wales,  when  her  son  Edward 
was  born.  The  people  claimed  him  as  a  Welshman, 


250  RED    CROSS,    OR 

and  his  father  made  him  Prince  of  Wales,  since  which 
time  this  title  has  generally  been  conferred  upon  the 
eldest  son  of  the  sovereign  of  England. 

"  Other  rebellions,  in  which  the  Welsh  have  vainly 
attempted  to  obtain  their  independence,  have  occurred, 
—  the  most  important  of  which  was  the  insurrection 
of  Owen  Glendower,  in  the  fifteenth  century.  He  was 
a  descendant  of  Llewellyn,  the  last  reigning  Prince  of 
Wales.  He  studied  law  in  London,  but  took  to  the 
profession  of  arms,  and  followed  the  fortunes  of  Rich 
ard  II.,  till  he  was  deposed,  when  Glendower  retired 
to  private  life  in  his  own  country.  Henry  IV.,  who 
succeeded  Richard,  construed  his  absence  from  the 
court  as  disloyalty,  and  confiscated  his  estates.  Forced 
by  this  act  of  injustice  to  take  a  hostile  position  he 
proclaimed  himself  Prince  of  Wales. 

"  Glendower  allied  himself  with  several  disaffected 
noblemen  of  England,  the  principal  of  whom  were 
the  Percys  of  Northumberland,  and  struck  some  heavy 
blows  at  the  power  of  the  king.  The  confederates 
divided  the  kingdom  among  themselves,  —  the  Welsh 
chieftain  taking  Wales,  of  which  he  was  formally 
crowned  Prince  at  his  capital.  In  1403  the  prince 
and  his  allies  met  Henry  in  battle,  near  Shrewsbury, 
and  were  badly  defeated,  Percy  being  killed  in  the 
action. 

"After  this  event  Glendower  formed  an  alliance 
with  the  King  of  France,  and  two  armies  of  French 
soldiers  were  at  different  times  sent  to  his  aid,  with 
which  he  fought  several  battles  with  varying  success. 
Being  compelled  to  retreat  into  Wales,  the  French  left 
him,  and  for  a  few  years  he  waged  a  guerrilla  and  pred- 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       251 

ntory  warfare  upon  the  English.  Though  his  power 
was  broken,  he  was  still  a  formidable  enemy,  and 
Henry  V.  offered  a  free  pardon  for  himself  and  his 
followers,  if  they  would  return  to  their  allegiance. 
While  the  negotiation  for  the  pardon  was  in  progress, 
Glendower  died. 

•  "  It  has  been  the  aim  of  the  rulers  of  England  to 
remove  the  ancient  landmarks  of  the  Welsh,  and  as 
similate  them  to  their  more  powerful  neighbors. 
There  is  now  no  material  distinction  in  the  privileges 
\>f  the  people  of  the  two  countries." 

Mr.  Mapps  finished  his  lecture,  and  with  the  de 
scription  of  Wales  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  students, 
the  order  was  given  to  pipe  into  the  boats.  The  ship's 
company  took  the  train  at  Holyhead,  and  in  an  hour 
Were  at  Bangor,  on  the  Menai  Straits,  near  the  north 
ern  entrance.  This  arm  of  the  sea,  which  separates 
Anglesea  from  the  main  land,  is  twelve  miles  in  length, 
and  the  region  through  which  it  passes  presents  some 
Very  attractive  scenery.  The  woods  on  both  sides  ex 
tend  down  to  the  water's  edge,  relieved  at  intervals 
by  rugged  steeps.  The  northern  portion  is  lined  with 
beautiful  cottages  and  villas,  used  for  permanent  or 
summer  residences  of  wealthy  people. 

A  walk  of  less  than  two  miles  brought  the  students 
to  the  Menai  Bridge.  At  different  points  the  straits 
are  crossed  by  five  ferries  ;  but  the  navigation  is  very 
difficult  and  dangerous,  owing  to  the  rocky  character 
of  the  shores,  and  to  the  fury  with  which  the  tide 
sweeps  through  the  narrow  channel,  and  more  than 
fifty  years  ago,  the  attention  of  the  government  was 
directed  to  a  project  for  bridging  it.  The  Menai 


252  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Bridge  was  commeenced  in  1819,  and  completed  in 
1826.  It  is  a  suspension  bridge,  supported  by  chains 
one  hundred  feet  above  high-water  mark,  so  that  ves* 
sels  may  sail  under  it.  The  suspended  part,  over  the 
straits,  is  five  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long.  But  the 
bridge,  though  it  was  the  wonder  of  the  world  for  a 
time,  is  by  no  means  the  most  remarkable  in  the 
world.  There  is  one  in  Switzerland,  and  there  are  sev 
eral  in  the  United  States,  which  exceed  it  in  span  and 
height. 

Half  a  mile  below  the  Menai  is  the  Britannia  Tuv 
bular  Bridge,  which,  until  it  was  rivalled  by  the  Vic 
toria  Bridge  over  the  St.  Lawrence,  at  Montreal,  was 
the  most  peculiar  and  wonderful  structure  of  the  kind 
in  the  woi'ld.  It  was  built  for  the  use  of  the  Holy- 
head  and  Chester  Railway,  and  cost  half  a  million 
pounds.  The  structure  consists  of  two  rectangular 
tubes,  placed  side  by  side,  through  which  the  up  and 
down  trains  pass.  The  location  'of  the  bridge  was 
chosen  on  account  of  a  rock  in  the  middle  of  the 
straits,  which  afforded  a  foundation  for  the  middle 
tower.  The  tubes  were  constructed  in  a  convenient 
place,  and  each  floated  on  pontoons,  at  high  tide,  to  a 
position  beneath  its  permanent  resting-place,  from 
which  it  was  elevated  at  the  rate  of  six  feet  a  day  by 
hydraulic  pressure,  —  the  masonry  being  carried  up  at 
the  same  rate  to  support  it  until  the  requisite  height 
was  reached. 

It  was  a  difficult  undertaking,  for  the  tidef  in  the 
straits,  rises  and  falls  twenty  feet,  and  often  flows  at 
the  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour,  and  it  reflects  the  high 
est  credit  on  Stevenson,  the  distinguished  engineer 
who  planned  and  executed  the  work. 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN   ENGLAND   AND   WALES.       353 

The  students  spent  the  night  at  the  George  Hotel, 
near  the  Menai  Bridge.  After  supper,  Perth  and 
Adler  operated  for  the  Knights  of  the  Red  Cross,  and 
initiated  the  eight  boys  who  had  already  pledged 
themselves  to  engage  in  the  desperate  enterprise 
which  Wilton  had  devised.  The  ceremony  consisted 
only  in  instructing  the  candidates  in  the'  dialogue 
by  which  he  was  to  prove  that  he  was  a  Knight,  and 
which  Murdock  had  committed  to  paper  on  the  pre 
ceding  day,  so  as  not  to  forget  it.  Only  the  most 
daring  and  reckless  fellows  in  the  ship's  crew  had 
been  approached  on  the  subject  of  joining  the  organi 
zation,  and  all  of  these  had  been  members  of  the 
Chain  League.  They  were  delighted  with  the  idea 
of  a  secret  society  —  a  fancy  which  seems  to  be  very 
fascinating  to  young  men  in  their  teens. 

Murdock  was  too  cunning  to  take  any  notice  of  cer 
tain  movements  on  the  part  of  Perth  and  Adler,  which 
were  intelligible  to  him,  but  not  to  those  who  were 
not  possessed  of  the  secret  of  the  Red  Cross.  He 
expected  an  invitation  to  join  the  organization;  if  it 
did  not  come  within  a  reasonable  time,  he  was  deter 
mined  to  have  his  fun,  at  the  expense  of  the  valiant 
Knights. 

In  the  course  of  the  excursion  into  Wales,  Perth 
made  four  more  additions  to  the  force  of  the  despera 
does,  who  were  to  capture  the  Josephine.  These 
were  new  hands ;  for  among  the  old  crew,  there  were 
no  more  whom  it  was  deemed  prudent  to  admit  to  the 
ranks  of  the  knightly  band.  Ten  more  could  easily 
be  obtained  when  the  time  was  found  to  state  the 
scheme  fully  to  each  one,  for  it  required  at  least  an 

22 


254  RED  CROSS5  °R 

hour  of  private  talk  to  relate  the  particulars  of  the 
enterprise,  and  initiate  the  convert. 

The  next  morning  the  party  proceeded  by  train  to 
Caernarvon,  and  after  viewing  its  castle  —  in  which  a 
room  in  the  Eagle  Tower  is  shown  as  that  in  which 
Edward  II.  was  born  —  started  on  a  pedestrian  tour 
to  Llanrwst.  After  they  had  left  the  town  behind 
them,  and  entered  the  mountain  defiles,  the  country 
became  exceedingly  interesting.  Then,  for  the  first 
time,  they  saw  Wales.  A  guide  accompanied  the  ex 
cursionists,  and  pointed  out  the  objects  of  interest  on 
the  way,  and  told  who  lived  in  each  residence  seen 
from  the  road.  Several  small  lakes  were  pointed  out, 
and  their  names  given.  In  Wales,  a  lake  has  the 
term  "  Llyn,"  as  Llyn  Padarn,  Llyn  Peris.  "  Moel  "  is 
applied  to  smooth  conical  hills,  and  Moel  Eilio  was 
shown.  "  Llan"  means  a  church,  and  is  thus  used  as 
a  prefix  to  numerous  Welsh  villages,  as  Llangollen, 
Llanrhaiadr. 

Most  of  the  Welsh  proper  names  are  unpronounce 
able  by  an  American,  because  they  have  so  many  syl 
lables  which  contain  no  vowels  —  Tanybwlch,  Craigd- 
drwg.  The  boys  cracked  their  jaws  in  vain  attempts 
to  utter  words  they  saw  in  print  on  the  maps  and  in 
the  guide-books.  At  the  Victoria  inn,  in  Dolbadarn, 
they  stopped  to  dine.  At  the  village  of  Llanberis, 
about  ten  miles  from  Caernarvon,  they  halted  for  the 
night.  The  capacity  of  the  lodging-houses  was  not 
sufficient  to  meet  such  a  demand  as  the  tourists  made 
upon  them,  and  a  large  portion  of  the  boys  were 
obliged  to  sleep  on  the  floors  of  parlors  and  dining- 
rooms —  no  great  hardship,  however,  to  sailors,  though 
some  of  the  new  hands  grumbled. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      255 

The  next  day  they  ascended  Snowdon,  at  the  top 

which  they  found  hotels,  restaurants,  and  stalls  for 
the  sale  of  trinkets,  —  the  Welsh  exhibiting  not  a  lit 
tle  of  the  Yankee  desire  to  make  a  trade,  even  under 
the  most  difficult  circumstances.  Snowclon  consists 
of  several  peaks  and  spurs,  the  highest  of  which  is 
Moel-y-Wyddfa,  whose  extreme  summit  is  only  a  few 
yards  in  diameter ;  and  on  a  clear  day  part  of  Eng 
land,  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  the  Isle  of  Man,  may  be 
distinctly  seen.  When  the  students  ascended,  the 
weather  was  admirable ;  indeed,  it  was  this  favoring 
circumstance  which  induced  the  principal  to  under 
take  the  ascent. 

The  descent  was  made  by  a  different  route,  as  much 
to  obtain  a  fresh  prospect  as  to  gain  time  on  the  jour 
ney.  Passing  over  the  most  northerly  ridge,  called 
Crib-y-Ddysgwyll  (we  mention  the  name  that  our 
readers  may  pronounce  it  when  they  have  the  tooth 
ache  ;  possibly  it  would  cure  this  distressing  malady, 
for  it  means  the  "  Toothed  Dish  "),  the  excursionists 
followed  a  zigzag  and  steep  path,  requiring  the  ut 
most  care,  for  a  single  false  step  would  oftentimes  roll 
the  incautious  traveller  over  ragged  precipices  to  cer 
tain  death.  After  a  walk  of  nine  miles  from  the  sum 
mit  of  Snowdon,  nearly  half  of  which  was  on  the 
turnpike,  the  tourists  arrived  at  Capel  Curig,  where 
they  lodged  under  the  same  difficulties  which  had  at 
tended  them  the  previous  night.  But  they  were  too 
tired,  after  climbing  the  rugged  steeps,  to  complain 
even  of  the  "  soft  side  of  a  pine  board." 

The  forenoon  of  the  following  day  was  spent  in 
visiting  the  cataract  of  Pont  Glyn  Diffwys,  the  lakes, 


256  RED    CROSS,    OR 

and  the  mountain  passes  in  the  vicinity  of  Capel  Curig^ 
which  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  spots  in  Snow- 
donia,  as  the  region  for  a  dozen  miles  around  the 
mountain  is  called.  After  an  early  dinner  —  or  rather 
lunch,  for  a  meal  taken  at  meridian  can  hardly  be 
called  a  dinner  in  the  United  Kingdom  —  the  party 
started  for  Llanrwst,  ten  miles  distant.  A  halt  was 
made  to  enable  the  students  to  see  Rhaiadr-y-Wenol, 
or  Swallow  Fall,  which,  after  rainy  weather,  is  consid 
ered  the  finest  cataract  in  Wales.  In  Bettws-y-Coed 
the  travellers  took  another  rest.  The  place  is  a  favor 
ite  resort  of  tourists,  especially  anglers  and  artists ; 
and  the  students  saw  more  of  Welsh  customs  and 
manners  than  at  any  former  stopping-place.  Four 
miles  more  brought  the  party  to  Llanrwst,  where  those 
who  were  not  too  much  fatigued  were  permitted  to 
visit  the  old  church  of  St.  Grwst,  and  other  places  of 
interest  in  the  town,  till  the  departure  of  the  train 
which  was  to  convey  them  to  Conway,  twelve  miles 
distant,  on  the  Holyhead  and  Chester  Railway. 

"What  station  is  this?"  asked  Paul  Kendall  of 
the  guard,  when  the  train  stopped  a  few  miles  from 
Llanrwst. 

"  Trevor,"  replied  the  guard. 

';  Trevor,"  repeated  the  captain,  consulting  his  guide 
book.  "  I  don't  see  it." 

"  Don't  you  ?  "  laughed  the  doctor.  "  There  it  is  ;  " 
and  he  pointed  to  a  name  on  the  page. 

"  That  isn't  it.  He  said  Trevor,  and  this  is  Tre- 
friw,"  added  Paul,  spelling  out  the  word,  which,  how 
ever,  was  not  generally  of  much  use  in  making  out 
Welsh  names. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      257 

"  That  is  the  local  pronunciation  of  the  word," 
added  Dr.  Winstock.  "  The  names  of  several  Eng 
lish  places  hardly  differ  more  widely  from  the  orthog 
raphy  than  these  in  Wales.  You  pronounce  Birming 
ham  with  the  primary  emphasis  on  the  first  syllable, 
and  a  secondary  emphasis  on  the  third  —  Bir'ming- 
ham'.  The  lowest  class  of  people  call  it  Brumajum, 
or  something  like  that ;  but  the  word  is  said  to  be 
spelled  in  one  hundred  and  fifty  different  ways,  and 
one  of  them  is  Bromwycham.  A  well-educated 
Englishman  calls  it  Bir-ming-ham,  with  no  secon 
dary  emphasis  on  the  third  syllable.  Many  cultivated 
people  call  London  Len-den,  or  Lend'n" 

"  I  heard  an  Englishman,  in  Liverpool,  say  a  pay- 
ound  for  a  pound,  as  a  Vermonter  calls  a  cow  a  CO.OTV." 

"  Hardly  with  the  same  accent,"  replied  the  doctor. 
"Give  the  a  its  long  sound,  and  leave  out  the  y  — 
paound.  In  many  parts  of  this  country,  Welshmen 
hold  occasional  meetings,  at  which  prizes  are  offered 
for  the  best  performance  on  the  harp,  and  the  best 
piece  of  poetry.  These  gatherings  are  called  Eistedd- 
fodd,  or  Civmrygyddion.  How  would  you  pro 
nounce  this  last  word?" 

"  I  shouldn't  pronounce  it.  I  should  as  soon  think 
of  swimming  across  the  Atlantic  as  uttering  such  a 
word,"  laughed  Paul. 

"  It  is  pronounced  Coom-re-gith-i-on,"  continued 
Dr.  Winstock. 

"  My  jaws  ache  now  with  the  efforts  I  have  made  to 
pronounce  Welsh  names,"  replied  Paul,  whose  atten 
tion  was  attracted  by  a  small  steamer  going  down 
Conway  River. 

22* 


258  RED    CROSS,    OR 

At  Conway  the  tourists  took  the  train  for  Holyhead, 
and  at  dark  were  on  board  their  respective  vessels, 
glad  of  an  opportunity  once  more  to  sleep  in  their 
own  beds,  but  delighted  also  with  the  views  of  Welsh 
scenery,  and  Welsh  manners  and  customs,  they  had 
obtained  in  their  tramp  through  Snowdonia. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.     259 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

THE  BANK  OF  ENGLAND  NOTES. 

THE  students  had  seen  a  specimen  of  North  Wales, 
and  as  soon  as  the  recitations  were  completed  on 
the  following  day,  the  vessels  sailed  for  Milford  Haven. 
The  weather  was  fine,  but  the  wind  was  very  light, 
and  it  was  not  till  Sunday  afternoon  that  the  little 
squadron  came  to  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  its  destina 
tion.  Divine  services  were  held  on  board  both  vessels, 
Professor  Hamblin  officiating  in  the  Josephine. 

Though  the  officers  had  carefully  observed  the  move 
ments  of  the  students  on  the  tramp  through  Snowdonia, 
no  bank  notes  were  seen  or  heard  of,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  none  of  the  party  had  any.  Murdock  had 
been  unable  to  enter  the  hold  to  obtain  any  of  his 
ill-gotten  spoils,  and  had  been  forced  to  confine  his 
expenses  to  the  five  shillings  allowed  for  the  trip. 
Wilton  and  Monroe  were  not  allowed  to  go  on  shore, 
and  the  twenty  pounds  the  former  had  "borrowed" 
of  Murdock  was  not  taken  from  its  hiding-place. 

So  far  as  the  outward  requirements  of  discipline 
were  concerned,  McLeish  behaved  with  propriety ; 
but  he  was  cross,  and  rather  surly.  He  was  suspected 
of  something,  —  stealing  the  captain's  overcoat,  he  be 
lieved,  —  and  he  fretted  sorely.  He  was  making  a 


260  RED    CROSS,   OR 

mighty  struggle  to  do  well,  and  demanded  all  the 
credit  which  belonged  to  his  good  intentions.  The 
officers  watched  him  very  closely,  as  they  did  Mur- 
dock,  for  the  reasons  which  have  already  been  indi 
cated  ;  and  though  nothing  was  said  or  hinted  to  him, 
the  supervision  did  not  always  escape  his  notice. 

He  was  tempted  to  abandon  his  good  resolutions, 
and  strike  hands  again  with  Rossfeldt  and  Tetnpleton  ; 
but  the  remembrance  of  what  pretty  Grace  Arbuckle 
had  said  to  him,  and  the  terror  of  meeting  her  again 
after  he  had  "  fallen  from  grace,"  deterred  him.  He 
could  face  the  principal  and  Captain  Kendall,  but  he 
could  not  hold'  up  his  head  in  her  presence,  if  he 
should  prove  false  to  the  promises  he  had  made  to 
her.  Perhaps  he  might  never  see  her  again ;  and 
under  the  consciousness  that  he  was  watciied  and 
suspected  of  something  which  it  had  never  entered 
his  head  to  do,  he  was  vibrating  between  the  right 
and  the  wrong,  doubtful  which  way  to  turn. 

Mr.  Lowington  was  very  much  perplexed  by  the 
circumstances  attending  the  loss  of  the  eighty  pounds. 
Murdock  had  not  said  a  word  to  any  of  the  crew  about 
the  theft,  so  far  as  he  could  learn,  and  his  means  of 
information  were  good.  On  Sunday  evening,  after 
the  ship  came  to  anchor  at  Milford  Haven,  he  called 
Murdock  to  him  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  had  a  long 
conversation  with  him  about  the  matter.  The  new 
hand  was  too  cunning  to  betray  himself,  and  positively 
denied  all  knowledge  of  the  money.  The  principal 
compelled  him  to  relate  all  his  movements  on  the  after 
noon  that  the  students  went  on  shore  at  Holyhead,  to 
tell  what  boys  he  had  spoken  with  in  the  Josephine 
»nd  the  Young  America. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      26l 

Murdock,  as  before,  told  the  exact  truth  concerning 
all  his  time,  except  the  fifteen  minutes  he  had  spent  in 
the  cabin  of  the  schooner,  though  he  did  not  think  it  best 
to  say  anything  about  the  Red  Cross  Knights.  While 
he  was  explaining  his  movements,  Wilton  happened 
to  be  in  the  waist,  and  Murdock  pointed  to  him,  say 
ing  that  he  had  spoken  to  him  on  his  return  from  the 
Josephine.  It  was  of  no  consequence  what  he  had 
said  to  Wilton,  and  Mr.  Lowington  seemed  to  be 
no  nearer  the  truth  than  before.  The  new  hand  was 
dismissed,  and  the  guilt  still  lay  between  him  and 
McLeish. 

Just  at  dark,  Captain  Kendall  visited  the  ship  in  his 
gig.  In  coming  to  anchor,  Havenshaw,  one  of  the 
best  seamen  in  the  Josephine,  had  received  an  injury 
in  his  foot,  in  trying  to  remove  a  kink  from  the  cable, 
and  Paul  had  come  on  board  for  the  doctor,  as  well  as 
to  obtain  instructions  from  the  principal.  Dr.  Win- 
stock  was  just  going  on  shore  with  the  chaplain  to 
attend  a  vesper  service  in  one  of  the  churches ;  but  he 
hastened  to  the  schooner  in  the  professor's  barge  as 
soon  as  he  was  informed  that  his  services  were  re 
quired.  As  Captain  Kendall's  gig  was  to  wait  until 
he  had  had  his  interview  with  Mr.  Lowington,  the 
crew  were  permitted  to  go  on  board  of  the  ship. 
Havenshaw,  the  injured  seaman,  belonged  to  the  gig's 
crew,  and  McLeish  had  been  ordered  to  take  his 
place. 

"  I  smell  a  mice,  Ike,"  said  Wilton,  just  before  the 
gig  came  alongside. 

Standing  in  the  waist,  he  had  observed  with  inter 
est  the  long  talk  that  was  taking  place  between  the 


a2  RED    CROSS,    OR 

principal  and  the  new  hand.  It  troubled  him  ;  and 
when  Murdock  pointed  to  him,  it  excited  the  direst 
fears  in  his  breast.  Being  a  "  lamb  "  would  not  save 
him  from  condemnation,  if  Murdock  told  that  he  had 
borrowed  his  money ;  and  this  was  what  Wilton 
believed  he  was  doing.  This  was  the  "  mice "  he 
smelt. 

"  What's  the  matter  now  ?  "  demanded  Monroe. 

"  Matter  enough.  That  greeny  has  told  old  Low- 
\ngton  that  I  borrowed  his  twenty  pounds,"  replied 
Wilton,  excited  by  his  ticklish  situation. 

"  How  do  you  know  he  has?  " 

"  Saw  him  do  it,  and  saw  him  direct  Lowington's 
attention  to  me  while  I  stood  in  the  waist.  Here's  a 
pretty  kettle  of  fish  ;  and  they'll  make  me  out  an  old 
sheep,  instead  of  a  lamb,  within  twenty  minutes." 

"  In  another  scrape  !  "  growled  Monroe,  almost  in 
despair.  "  Another  term  in  the  brig." 

"  Not  yet ;  don't  give  it  up.  We'll  get  out  of  the 
scrape  some  how  or  other.  Murdock  didn't  give  me 
any  money.  Don't  you  know  he  didn't?  " 

"  But  he  did." 

"No,  he  didn't.  If  two  of  us  stick  to  it  that  he 
didn't,  k  will  be  no  use  for  him  to  stick  to  it  that  he 
did.  Understand,  Ike  ?  " 

"  I  understand  ;  but  you  have  the  money  sewed  into 
your  jacket ;  and  of  course  you  will  be  searched." 

"  That's  so,"  replied  Wilton,  with  a  troubled  look. 
"  Come  down  into  the  steerage,  and  we  will  fix 
things." 

Monroe  followed  Wilton  to  his  mess-room,  where 
the  latter  took  the  notes  from  their  hiding-place  in  hit 
jacket,  and  put  them  into  an  envelope. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      263 

"  We  must  get  rid  of  them  at  once,  even  if  We  have 
to  throw  them  overboard,"  said  he. 

"  It's  a  pity  to  do  that,"  added  Monroe,  thinking 
what  a  heap  of  luxuries  could  be  purchased  for  twen 
ty  pounds. 

"•  I  would  rather  do  it  than  be  caught.  It  won't  do 
to  have  the  money  anywhere  in  the  steerage,  for  they 
will  look  into  the  mattresses,  and  everywhere  else.  I 
fancy  that  Gus  Pelham  told  the  principal  all  that  I  ever 
said  to  him  about  the  safe-key  and  the.  sixty  pounds." 

Pelham  did  nothing  of  the  kind.  His  sense  of 
honor  would  not  permit  him  to  expose  a  comrade 
who  had  told  him  anything  in  confidence,  even  to 
save  himself  from  punishment. 

"  Perhaps  we  can  find  a  place  on  deck  to  hide  it," 
suggested  Monroe. 

When  they  went  on  deck  in  search  of  such  a  place, 
the  Josephine's  gig  was  alongside. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  we  can  do,"  said  Wilton,  as  the 
gig's  crew  came  up  the  accommodation  ladder.  "  We 
can  give  it  to  one  of  the  Josephine's  fellows  to  keep 
till  to-morrow.  Then  it  will  not  be  in  the  ship." 

"  Whom  will  you  give  it  to?  "  asked  Monroe. 

"  I  don't  know.  Let  me  see  who  they  are.  There's 
that  Scotch  fellow.  They  say  he  is  a  brick." 

"  But  he  has  joined  the  lambs,  they  say." 

"  So  much  the  better.  He  don't  mean  it,  any  more 
than  I  do.  Templeton  told  me  about  nim  the  night 
we  were  put  into  the  brig.  They  say  he  hates  Low- 
ington  and  Fluxion,  and  has  had  a  jolly  row  with  all 
the  officers  of  the  consort.  He's  the  fellow  for  me." 

Perhaps  this  course  of  reasoning  was  fully  in  keeping 


264  RED    CROSS,    OR 

with  Wilton's  former  exhibitions  of  judgment  and  dis 
cretion.  He  knew  very  little  about  McLeish.  When 
he  and  Monroe  had  been  committed  to  the  brig,  the 
Scotch  rebel  had  come  to  them,  expressed  his  sympa 
thy,  and  offered  to  help  them.  This  prompt  offer  of 
assistance  had  prepossessed  them  in  his  favor  as  a 
good  fellow.  Since  McLeish  had  been  transferred  to 
the  Josephine  they  had  not  seen  him,  though  they  had 
been  informed  of  his  plucky  conduct,  as  they  regarded 
it,  with  Terrill,  and  had  heard  the  boys  laughing  about 
his  reformation,  or,  in  the  phrase  of  "  our  fellows,"  of 
his  "  joining  the  lambs." 

"How  are  you,  McLeish?  I'm  glad  to  see  you," 
said  Wilton,  walking  up  to  the  Scottish  hero. 

"  Well,  I  thank  you.  How  is  it  with  yourself?  " 
replied  McLeish,  not  very  cordially  ;  for  he  was  still 
in  a  cross  mood. 

"  You  are  a  good  fellow,  McLeish  :  everybody  says 
that ;  and  what  everybody  says  must  be  true.  I  am 
sorry  you  went  into  the  Josephine,  for  we  don't  see 
much  of  you  now." 

McLeish  softened,  for  this  was  the  kind  of  stuff'  to 
feed  him  with. 

"  You  got  out  of  the  brig,  lad,  I  see,"  said  he. 

"  Yes,  after  a  while  ;  but  I  expect  to  go  back  again 
soon,"  answered  Wilton,  lightly. 

"  Do  you,  man?     Why  so?  " 

"  One  of  the  fellows  is  trying  to  get  me  into  a  scrape. 
There  comes  an  officer ;  don't  say  anything  now ;  " 
and  Wilton  walked  away  from  McLeish,  fearful  that 
the  interview  might  be  charged  against  him,  if  any 
thing  happened  afterwards. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN   ENGLAND   AND    WALES.      265 

As  he  crossed  the  deck,  he  encountered  Murdock, 
in  deep  thought,  brooding  over  what  the  principal  had 
said  to  him. 

"What  were  you  saying  to  Lowington?"  asked 
Wilton,  as  they  met. 

"What  was  I  saying  to  him?"  replied  Murdock, 
who  was  not  prepared  to  answer  this  question,  and 
thus  acknowledge  that  he  was  suspected  of  stealing 
eighty  pounds  from  Captain  Kendall's  state-room. 

"  Yes,  what  were  you  saying  to  him  ? "  repeated 
Wilton,  sharply.  "  And  what  were  you  pointing  to 
me  for?" 

"  Pointing  to  you?  " 

"  That's  what  I  said.     You  are  not  deaf —  are  you  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  aware  that  it  concerns  you  to  know  what 
we  were  talking  about,"  answered  Murdock,  embar 
rassed  by  the  fear  that  his  shipmates  would  find  he 
was  suspected. 

"  Yes,  but  it  does  concern  me.  I  know  what  you 
were  talking  about." 

Murdock  was  really  alarmed  now.  How  should 
Wilton  know  that  the  principal  had  almost  accused 
him  of  stealing  the  money  ;  or,  at  least,  had  hinted  it 
so  strongly  that  his  guilty  conscience  interpreted  his 
words  as  a  direct  charge? 

"  If  you  know,  what  do  you  ask  me  for?"  replied 
Murdock,  with  a  weak  effort  to  bluff  him  off. 

"  You  can't  deny  it." 

"  Perhaps  I  can't." 

"  If  you  can,  why  don't  you  ?  "  demanded  Wilton, 
warmly. 

*'  What  am  I  expected  to  deny?" 


266  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  O,  you  needn't  talk !  Didn't  you  tell  Lowington 
that  you  let  me  have  twenty  pounds?  O,  you  needn't 
deny  it !  "  added  Wilton,  shaking  his  head  at  him. 

Murdock  was  relieved. 

"  If  it  isn't  any  use  to  deny  it,  I  won't  do  so,"  re 
plied  Murdock,  mildly.  "  It  was  a  mean  trick  you 
played  upon  me  ;  and  you  may  thank  yourself  if  you 
get  into  any  trouble  on  account  of  it." 

"  Then  you  have  owned  up  to  Lowington  that  you 
lied  to  him  'when  you  told  him  you  had  no  more 
money." 

"  That's  my  affair.  If  you  wish  to  give  up  the 
money  now,  I  will  make  it  all  right  with  the  prin 
cipal." 

u  Give  up  the  money !  Do  you  labor  under  the 
delusion  that  you  handed  me  twenty  pounds?" 

"  I  certainly  do." 

"  It's  all  in  your  eye.  You  didn't  do  anything  of 
the  kind  ;  and  I  can  prove  that  you  didn't,"  added 
Wilton,  emphatically. 

Murdock  was  so  pleased  to  find  the  real  secret  was 
not  suspected,  that  he  was  not  disposed  to  quarrel 
about  his  twenty  pounds.  He  had  given  up  the 
money  as  lost ;  but  his  companion's  mistake  sug 
gested  that  he  might  work  upon  his  fears  till  he  re 
covered  it.  Wilton  did  not  wait  to  argue  the  matter 
any  farther,  but  returned  to  McLeish,  who  was  wait 
ing  to  hear  in  what  manner  some  one  was  to  get  him 
into  a  scrape. 

"  You  were  a  good  friend  of  mine  when  I  was  in 
the  brig,"  said  Wilton,  without  explaining  who  his 
enemy  was.  "  I  want  you  to  help  me  a  little  now." 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      367 

"  I  have  promised  to  keep  out  of  all  scrapes,  and  to 
behave  well !  and  I  mean  to  do  it,"  replied  McLeish. 

"  This  will  not  get  you  into  any  scrape  —  it  can't. 
I  only  want  you  to  keep  this  envelope  for  me  till  I  see 
you  next  time,"  said  Wilton,  slipping  it  privately  into 
McLeish's  pocket. 

"What's  in  it?" 

"  Never  mind  what  is  in  it.  You  needn't  know, 
and  then  you  certainly  will  not  get  into  trouble.  Don't 
let  any  one  see  it,  or  know  that  you  have  it." 

"  All  the  gigsmen,  pipe  down  !  "  called  the  coxswain 
of  Captain  Kendall's  boat. 

"  Keep  still,  and  don't  say  a  word.  Don't  open  the 
envelope,  and  don't  let  any  one  suspect  that  you  have 
it.  When  I  see  you  again  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it," 
said  Wilton,  hastily,  as  McLeish  moved  off. 

Wilton  called  Monroe  as  soon  as  the  gig  had  gone, 
and  they  had  another  interview  with  Murdock.  Both 
of  them  stoutly  denied  all  knowledge  of  the  twenty 
pounds,  and  the  new  hand,  if  no  one  else,  was  satis 
fied  that  Wilton  was  more  snake  than  lamb.  While 
he  was  disappointed  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  in 
timidate  the  rogue  into  returning  his  money,  he  con 
gratulated  himself  that  he  was  not  known  as  a  sus 
pected  person  by  his  companions. 

As  for  Wilton,  he  was  in  momentary  expectation  of 
being  summoned  to  the  bar  of  the  principal's  justice 
for  not  giving  up  the  twenty  pounds  intrusted  to  his 
care.  He  was  prepared  to  deny  that  any  bank  notes 
had  been  handed  to  him,  and  to  fall  back  upon  his 
character  as  a  young  lamb  to  sustain  him.  He  ex 
pected  the  chaplain  would  be  his  friend,  and  help  con- 


268  RED    CROSS,    OK 

vince  the  principal  that  Murdock  wished  to  injure  him 
because  he  had  turned  over  a  new  leaf.  No  summons 
came  from  the  principal,  and  he  was  surprised  that  it 
did  not  come. 

He  waited  nervously  for  the  summons,  till  all  hands 
were  called  to  evening  prayers,  and  still  it  did  not 
come.  He  concluded  that  the  case  was  reserved  for 
the  next  day ;  but  on  Monday  the  exercises  of  the 
Academy  passed  off  as  usual,  and  after  dinner  all 
hands  went  on  shore.  Not  a  word  was  said  about  the 
bank  notes,  and  Mr.  Lowington  did  not  even  look  at 
him.  It  was  very  strange,  and  he  could  not  account 
for  it.  The  principal  never  passed  over  any  alleged 
wrong  without  an  investigation,  and  he  continued  to 
anticipate  the  summons. 

In  the  mean  time,  McLeish,  with  the  envelope  in  his 
pocket,  returned  to  the  Josephine.  The  surgeon  had 
dressed  the  wound  on  Havenshaw's  foot,  and  assuring 
the  patient  that  it  would  be  well  in  a  few  days,  left 
for  the  shore  to  attend  the  vespers. 

McLeish  was  not  a  Yankee  ;  neither  were  the  sev 
eral  Mrs.  Blue  Beards  Yankees ;  but  he  was  as  anx 
ious  to  know  what  that  envelope  contained  as  they  to 
know  what  the  mysterious  room  contained  —  which 
proves  that  curiosity  is  not  an  exclusively  American 
vice.  McLeish  was  troubled  about  two  things  :  first, 
he  was  sorry  he  had  accepted  the  keeping  of  the  en 
velope,  and  second,  he  desired  to  know  what  it  con 
tained.  It  was  sealed,  and  nothing  was  written  upon  it. 

His  strongest  impulse  was  to  carry  it  to  Captain 
Kendall,  who  would  open  it,  and  thus  at  the  same  time 
expose  its  contents,  and  relieve  him  from  all  blame. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        ^9 

But  a  second  thought  assured  him  it  was  mean  to  ex 
pose  a  friend  who  had  confided  in  him,  and  he  had  not 
the  courage  to  follow  what  his  reason  convinced  him 
was  the  proper  course. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Monday  all  hands  went  on 
shore,  but  returned  at  an  early  hour ;  Mr.  Lowington 
found  he  was  behind  time  in  the  carrying  out  of  his 
programme,  for  he  had  intended  to  be  in  London  by 
the  ist  of  August,  and  it  was  now  the  25th.  The 
delay  had  been  occasioned  by  the  non-arrival  of 
the  new  pupils  at  the  time  they  were  expected,  and  the 
necessity  of  training  the  crew  of  the  ship.  He  found 
it  requisite,  therefore,  to  use  the  nights,  so  far  as  prac 
ticable,  in  going  from  place  to  place.  As  a  quarter 
watch  was  generally  sufficient  to  handle  either  vessel, 
the  officers  and  seamen  were  not  deprived  of  any  con 
siderable  portion  of  their  sleep,  those  who  served  two 
watches  having  had  six  hours  of  continuous  rest 
below.  When  the  squadron  came  to  anchor  before  six 
in  the  morning,  those  who  had  been  on  duty  were  al 
lowed  to  "  sleep  in  "  till  they  had  made  up  their  eight 
hours. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  with  Bristol  Chan 
nel  pilots  on  board,  the  ship  and  her  consort  sailed  for 
Cardiff,  where  they  arrived  after  a  brisk  run  of  twelve 
hours.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  after  the  reg 
ular  studies  had  been  disposed  of,  all  hands  embarked 
in  the  boats  for  the  shore.  Cardiff  is  one  of  the  most 
important  towns  in  Wales,  though  there  is  nothing  of 
especial  interest  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  tourist. 
It  is  the  port  from  which  the  iron  brought  from  Mer- 
thyr  Tydvil  and  other  places,  by  railway  and  canal, 
23* 


270  RED   CROSS,    OR 

is  shipped.  It  is  also  an  immense  depot  for  the 
shipment  of  coal.  The  extensive  docks  planned  by 
the  Marquis  of  Bute,  and  constructed  at  his  own  ex 
pense,  have  wonderfully  increased  the  commercial 
prosperity  of  the  place. 

A  walk  through  the  town  satisfied  the  boys,  and 
they  took  the  train  for  Merthyr  Tydvil,  famous  for  the 
number  and  extent  of  its  iron  works,  and  its  coal 
mines.  An  opportunity  was  afforded  to  the  students 
to  see  the  Welsh  operatives  in  the  mines  and  manu 
factories,  and  to  compare  their  condition  with  that  of 
men  in  similar  employments  in  their  own  country. 
The  place  is  situated  in  a  region  celebrated  for  it 
romantic  beauty ;  but  the  boys  saw  but  little  of  tl 
scenery,  except  from  the  windows  of  the  railwaj 
carriages. 

With  the  Bristol  Channel  pilots  still  on  board,  the 
ship  and  her  consort  sailed  for  Bristol.  Though  the 
distance  was  only  about  thirty  miles,  the  wind  was 
light  that  it  required  all  night  to  make  it ;  and  stean 
tugs  were  employed  in  going  up  the  Avon  River. 
For  the  first  time  the  vessels  went  into  a  dock,  if  th< 
at  Bristol  may  be  called  by  such  a  name.  The  water 
was  diverted  from  the  Avon,  and  its  tributary,  the 
Frome,  and  their  original  beds  converted  into  a  "  float 
ing  harbor "  by  the  erection  of  dams  and  gates  at 
either  end  of  the  enclosure.  About  two  miles  in 
length  of  the  Avon  was  thus  converted  into  a  dock, 
affording  sufficient  room  for  a  thousand  vessels  to 
float.  Between  the  termini  of  the  dock,  a  deep  canal 
was  made,  so  that  the  wateis  of  the  river  could  pass 
without  going  through  the  enclosure.  The  average 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       271 

rise  and  fall  of  tides  in  Bristol  is  nearly  thirty  feet,  the 
spring  tides  being  thirty-four.  The  Josephine  was 
moored  alongside  of  the  Young  America,  so  that  the 
crews  of  the  two  vessels  could  mingle  without  the  use 
of  a  boat —  an  experience  as  pleasant  as  it  was  novel. 

McLeish  still  carried  the  envelope  in  his  pocket,  as 
it  had  been  given  him  by  Wilton  ;  and  if  it  had  been 
a  coal  of  fire,  it  could  not  have  annoyed  him  more 
than  it  did.  He  did  not  even  dare  to  look  at  it,  or  to 
take  it  from  his  pocket,  lest  some  one  should  see  it ; 
and  just  as  soon  as  an  opportunity  was  presented,  after 
the  vessels  were  moored  together,  he  went  on  board 
of  the  ship  for  the  purpose  of  getting  rid  of  it.  If 
there  had  been  no  mystery  about  it,  probably  it  would 
have  annoyed  him  less.  He  wished  to  know  what  it 
all  meant  quite  as  much  as  to  avoid  the  responsibility 
of  having  it  on  his  person. 

He  found  Wilton,  who  was  still  dreading  a  summons 
to  the  mainmast,  where  all  questions  of  discipline 
were  settled,  for  Mr.  Lowington  tenaciously  adhered 
to  naval  practices.  Wilton  did  not  want  the  bank 
notes  yet ;  the  danger  had  not  passed  away  ;  but  when 
he  saw  McLeish  approaching  him,  he  understood 
what  he  wanted,  and  had  a  plausible  explanation  ready 
to  induce  him  to  retain  the  funds. 

"  I  don't  care  to  keep  the  paper  any  longer,"  said 
McLeish,  when  the  conspirator  had  conducted  him  to 
a  secure  place  for  the  interview. 

"  Why  not?  It  don't  harm  you,  and  can't  get  you 
into  any  trouble." 

"  I  don't  know  that." 

"  Upon  my  word  and  honor,  it  can't  get  you  into 
any  trouble.  If  it  would,  I'd  tell  you  so." 


2^2  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  You  didn't  tal  me  what  the  envelope  hald,"  sug 
gested  McLeish. 

"  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it  now,"  added  Wilton,  in  a 
whisper.  "  You  know  I  went  to  London." 

"  I  haird  you  did." 

"  My  father  sent  me  twenty  pounds,  which  I  sewed 
into  my  jacket  when  those  beggars  of  detectives  caught 
me.  The  money  was  in  four  five-pound  notes,  and 
they  are  now  in  the  envelope." 

"  Is  this  the  truth?  "  asked  McLeish,  suspiciously. 

"  Of  course  it  is  !     You  don't  think  I'd  lie  about 
—  do  you  ?  " 

"  Why  do  you  wish  me  to  keep  it  for  you  ?  " 

"  A  fellow  got  mad  with  me,  and  I  expect  he 
told  Lowington  I  have  the  stamps  about  me." 

"Who  is  the  fellow?" 

"  He's  one  of  the  new  fellows.  I  expect  to 
searched  soon,  and  if  I  am,  Lowington  won't  find 
the  money  upon  me.  I'll  do  a  good  thing  for  you, 
McLeish,  any  time  when  you  need  it." 

McLeish  did  not  wish  to  keep  the  money  any  longer, 
but  Wilton's  rhetoric  finally  overcame  his  scruples, 
and  he  agreed  to  retain  it  for  a  few  days  more. 

"  You  are  a  first-rate  fellow,  McLeish,"  continued 
Wilton,  who  had  one  more  favor  to  ask. 

"  That  means  that  you  want  something  more  of 
me,"  added  McLeish,  laughing. 

"  That's  so ;  and  when  a  fellow  has  a  good  friend 
like  you,  he  don't  hesitate  to  ask  him  to  do  a  good 
turn  for  him.  I  want  to  get  rid  of  those  bank  notes. 
I'm  afraid  they'll  get  wet  and  be  spoiled.  I  have 
no  liberty,  you  know,  and  you  have.  You  will  go 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN   ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      3^3 

ashore  this  afternoon,  and  you  fellows  in  the  Josephine 
are  not  watched  at  all.  Now,  if  you  could  just  change 
those  bills  for  gold,  at  some  store  or  banking-house, 
you  would  do  the  best  thing  for  me  that  ever  one  fellow 
did  for  another ;  and  I'll  do  five  times  as  much  for  you 
any  time  you  ask  me.  I  will,  whether  you  ask  me  or 
not." 

"  I'll  just  do  it,"  replied  McLeish,  who  could  see  no 
great  harm  in  the  simple  act  required  of  him. 

The  money  was  Wilton's,  sent  to  him  by  his  father. 
Doubtless  it  was  against  the  rules  of  the  ship  for  him 
to  retain  it  in  his  possession  ;  but  McLeish  felt  that  he 
had  nothing  to  do  with  his  violation  of  the  regula 
tions.  Mr.  Lowington  did  not  countenance  tell-tales, 
and  no  student  was  required  or  expected  voluntarily 
to  report  the  misdeeds  of  his  companions.  If  ques 
tioned,  he  was  to  tell  the  exact  truth,  whoever  suf 
fered  thereby ;  but,  in  ordinary  cases,  no  one  was  con 
sidered  to  be  under  obligations  to  expose  the  faults  and 
foibles  of  his  associates. 

McLeish  promised  to  exchange  the  paper  for  gold, 
and  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  students  went  on  shore, 
he  separated  himself  from  his  shipmates,  as  he  sup 
posed,  and  entered  Stuckey  &  Co.'s  banking-house,  in 
Clare  Street,  where  the  exchange  was  effected. 

The  officers  of  the  Josephine,  jealous  of  the  integrity 
of  the  ship's  company,  had  not  forgotten  the  instruc 
tions  given  them  by  the  captain  at  Holyhead.  Every 
one  of  the  four  lieutenants  and  masters,  who  believed 
that  McLeish  had  robbed  the  captain's  safe,  was 
watching  him  with  the  utmost  care.  Pelham  saw  him 
separate  himself  from  his  companions,  and  cautiously 


274  RED   CROSS,   OR 

followed  him  into  Clare  Street,  where  the  bills  were 
exchanged  for  gold.  As  soon  as  McLeish  had  left 
the  banker's,  Pelham  entered,  and  wrote  down  the 
numbers  of  the  notes  which  the  suspected  student  had 
presented. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       275 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

BRISTOL    TO    THE    ISLE    OF   WIGHT. 

THAT  proves  plainly  enough  that  McLeish  stole 
the  money  —  don't  it?"  said  Pelham,  when  he 
had  related  the  incident  in  Clare  Street,  in  which  he 
had  taken  part,  to  Captain  Kendall,  after  their  return  to 
the  Josephine. 

"  I  think  it  does,"  replied  Paul,  sadly ;  for  nothing 
was  more  painful  to  him  than  the  evidence  that  any  of 
his  ship's  company  had  been  guilty  of  crime. 

The  fact  that  McLeish  had  exchanged  four  five- 
pound  notes  for  gold  had  been  communicated  to  the 
officers,  who  were  directed  to  watch  him  very  closely 
until  Mr.  Lowington  could  be  informed  of  the  cir 
cumstances  ;  for  the  principal  had  gone  to  the  railway 
station  to  make  the  arrangements  for  a  trip  to  Birming 
ham  and  Stafford  on  Avon.  The  twenty  pounds  in 
McLeish's  pocket  felt  heavy,  and  not  only  heavy,  but 
hot.  He  wanted  to  give  up  the  money  ;  and  as  soon 
as  he  had  reached  the  deck  of  the  schooner,  he  has 
tened  to  find  Wilton,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  his  uncom- 
for.table  burden. 

Not  less  than  four  of  his  officers  followed  him  to  the 
deck  of  the  ship,  and  their  eyes  were  all  fixed  upon 
him.  He  went  forward,  but  they  dogged  his  steps. 


2j6  RED    CKOSS,    OR 

Pie  went  below,  and  they  went  below.  He  returned 
to  the  consort,  and  they  returned.  He  tried  again, 
and  this  time  six  of  them  attended  his  steps,  not  in  a 
bod}',  but  scattered  about,  so  that  whichever  way  he 
turned,  he  encountered  a  lieutenant  or  a  master.  He 
was  foiled  again,  and  not  only  foiled,*  but  alarmed,  for 
it  was  almost  certain  to  him  that  the  movements  of 
the  officers  were  not  accidental.  He  was  tempted  to 
drop  the  gold  over  the  side  of  the  vessel  into  the  dock ; 
but  so  closely  was  he  watched  that  he  could  not  even 
do  this  without  being  detected. 

This  strict  surveillance  continued  for  half  an  hour 
longer,  when  Mr.  Lowington  came  on  board.  Paul, 
almost  as  much  grieved  as  though  he  had  been  con 
victed  of  the  crime  himself,  related  to  the  principal 
the  evidence  which  had  been  obtained. 

"  I  did  not  believe  McLeish  was  the  guilty  person 
before,"  replied  Mr.  Lowington  ;  "  but  this  testimony 
is  direct,  though  not  conclusive." 

"  I  do  not  see  where  he  could  have  obtained  twenty 
pounds  in  bills,  unless  from  the  safe,"  added  Paul. 

"  I  am  afraid  there  is  not  much  doubt  in  regard  to 
his  guilt.  You  will  direct  Mr.  Cleats  to  arrest  him, 
and  bring  him  into  your  cabin,"  said  Mr.  Lowington, 
as  he  led  the  way  below. 

The  order  was  given  to  the  boatswain,  and  he  found 
McLeish  walking  up  and  down  the  deck,  waiting  for 
a  chance  to  communicate  with  Wilton. 

"  You  are  wanted,  McLeish,"  said  Cleats,  touch 
ing  him  on  the  shoulder. 

"Who  wants  me?"  asked  the  alleged  culprit, 
startled  by  the  summons. 


YOUN<?   AMERICA   IN   FNGLAND   AND   WALES.       277 

"  The  captain  !  " 

"  What  does  he  want  of  me?" 

"  I  don't  know ;  I  never  ask  any  questions.  I'm 
ordered  to  take  you  into  the  cabin." 

"  I'll  not  go,"  replied  McLeish,  his  bad  temper 
getting  the  better  of  him. 

"  See  here,  my  hearty  :  don't  make  a  fool  of  yourself. 
The  young  miss  won't  pity  you,  if  you  behave  silly." 

"  I'll  go,"  added  he,  subdued  by  the  reflection  that 
Grace  Arbuckle  would  hear  of  his  misconduct.  "  I'll 
go,  but  I've  not  done  anything  wrong." 

"  All  right,  my  lad.  If  you  haven't,  you  may  be 
sure  it  will  come  out  right ;  for  the  captain  was  as  sad 
as  though  he  had  lost  his  grandmother  when  he 
ordered  me  to  take  you  down.  He's  sorry  for  you, 
whatever  is  the  matter." 

McLeish  was  touched  by  this  evidence  of  sympathy 
on  the  part  of  the  commander  of  the  Josephine,  and 
followed  the  boatswain  into  the  cabin,  where  he  saw 
the  principal  and  Paul  seated  at  the  table,  waiting  for 
his  appearance. 

u  Do  you  know  why  you  are  sent  for,  McLeish?" 
asked  Mr.  Lowington,  when  Cleats  had  retired. 

"  I  do  not,  sir.  I  haven't  done  anything,"  replied 
McLeish. 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  you  have  done  nothing 
wrong?"  demanded  the  principal,  mildly. 

"  Very  sure,  sir.  I  may  have  broken  some  rule,  but 
I've  no  done  anything  very  bad." 

"  You  were  on  shore  this  afternoon,  with  your  ship 
mates?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

34 


278  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Have  you  any  money  about  you?"  demanded  the 
principal,  squarely. 

"  I  had  sixpence  left  from  my  allowance,"  replied 
the  culprit,  turning  red  in  the  face  ;  for  he  now  under 
stood  what  was  coming,  though  he  could  not  for  the 
life  of  him  imagine  how  the  principal  should  know 
anything  about  his  affair  with  Wilton. 

"  Have  you  only  sixpence?  " 

McLeish  was  troubled.  Experience  had  taught 
him  worldly  wisdom,  if  not  much  absolute  morality. 
If  he  denied  that  he  had  twenty  pounds  in  gold,  the 
big  boatswain  was  within  call,  and  his  pockets  would 
be  turned  out  only  to  prove  that  he  had  added  false 
hood  to  indiscretion,  for  he  regarded  the  keeping  of  the 
money, for  Wilton  only  as  an  indiscretion.  He  could 
not  believe  there  was  anything  very  bad  about  it,  and 
he  decided  to  tell  the  truth. 

"  I  have  more  than  sixpence  about  me,"  he  replied, 
after  a  pause  which  looked  bad  for  the  boy  who  had 
turned  over  a  new  leaf. 

"  How  much  have  you?"  asked  Mr.  Lowington,  in 
the  same  quiet  tone  in  which  he  had  thus  far  con 
ducted  the  examination. 

"  Twenty  pounds  in  gold  ;  but  it  does  not  belong  to 
me,  sir?" 

"  To  whom  does  it  belong?" 

Two  weeks  before,  McLeish  would  have  betrayed 
his  best  friend  as  readily  as  he  would  have  turned  his 
hand.  Lynch  and  Grossbeck  had  lectured  him 
soundly  on  this  tendency,  for  they  had  suffered  by  it. 
He  had  caught  from  his  companions  something  of 
that  spirit  of  boy  honor,  which,  though  based  on  a 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       279 

genuine  nobility  of  purpose,  is  often  put  to  base  uses, 
and  is  carried  to  an  extent  which  involves  actual  dis 
honor  and  vice. 

"  I'll  no  tal,"  replied  McLeish,  firmly,  but  not  in  a 
disrespectful  tone. 

"  I  think  it  is  your  duty  to  tell,  McLeish,"  added 
Mr.  Lowington. 

"I'll  no  be  a  tal-tale." 

"  You  will  leave  me  to  infer  that  the  money  in 
your  possession  does  not  belong  to  another,  but  to 
yourself." 

"  It's  not  mine,  sir ;  but  a  MacGregor  never  betrays 
a  friend,"  added  McLeish,  who  had  proved  that,  how 
ever  true  his  ancestors  were  to  their  associates,  the 
present  generation  had  sadly  deteriorated. 

The  principal  then  stated  that  the  safe  of  the 
schooner  had  been  robbed  of  eighty  pounds  in  bank 
bills. 

"  Do  ye  tal  me  that  I  robbed  the  safe?"  demanded 
McLeish,  now  highly  excited  by  this  new  phase  of 
the  case. 

"  I  give  you  the  opportunity  to  defend  yourself  by 
informing  me  who  gave  you  the  bank  notes,  if  any 
one  did." 

"  A  MacGregor  never  betrays  a  friend,"  repeated 
McLeish,  warmly. 

"  You  will  remember  that  you  were  questioned 
while  we  were  lying  at  Holyhead,"  added  the  prin 
cipal. 

"  I  remamber ;  and  I  was  accused  of  stealing  the 
captain's  overcoat  —  a  thing  I  naver  did  in  my  life." 

"  The  overcoat  was  not   stolen.     You  were   ques- 


i8o  RED    '-ROSS,    OR 

tioned  m  order  to  ascertain  if  you  knew  anything  of 
the  robbery  of  the  safe.  «»Now,  McLeish,  this  looks 
like  a  plain  case.  The  safe  must  have  been  robbed 
by  you,  or  by  another  student,  whose  name  I  will  not 
mention.  You  have  exchanged  twenty  pounds  in 
notes  for  gold.  It  is  at  least  proper  that  you  should 
explain  how  the  twenty  pounds  came  into  your  pos 
session." 

McLeish  considered.  It  seemed  plain  enough  to 
him  that  Wilton  was  the  robber.  New  converts  are 
proverbially  zealous,  and  having  set  up  his  artificial 
standard  of  honor,  he  was  obstinate  enough  to  become 
a  martyr  in  adhering  to  it.  Though  the  principal 
kindly  explained  his  position  to  him,  and  gave  him 
every  opportunity  to  free  himself  from  the  charge, 
McLeish  positively  refused  to  betray  his  friend. 

Mr.  Lowington-  had  some  doubts.  The  fact  that 
Murdock  had  not  spoken  of  the  theft  was  against  him, 
and  it  was  possible  that  he  had  employed  McLeish 
to  exchange  the  money  for  him  ;  but  as  long  as  the 
apparent  culprit  refused  to  give  any  information  in 
regard  to  the  person  who  had  intrusted  the  notes  to 
him,  the  principal  could  not  do  otherwise  than  com 
mit  him  to  the  brig.  Cleats  was  called,  and  this  was 
done  after  the  gold  had  been  secured. 

The  prisoner's  berth,  bag,  clothing,  and  all  his 
effects,  were  very  thoroughly  searched  for  the  remain 
ing  sixty  pounds  purloined  from  the  safe,  but  of 
course  without  finding  the  money.  McLeish  felt  like 
a  martyr  now.  He  was  not  guilty,  and  imprisonment 
did  not  seem  as  it  had  before.  He  was  innocent,  and 
his  native  obstinacy  caused  him  rather  to  glory  in  his 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       2&I 

martyrdom.  He  was  a  strange  boy.  By  and  by  it 
would  be  proved  that  he  was  not  the  guilty  person, 
and  he  could  revel  in  the  thought  that  the  principal 
had  made  a  blunder.  Under  the  influence  of  this 
stupid  fanaticism,  his  imprisonment  became  a  positive 
joy  to  him. 

To  all  intents  and  purposes  he  was  the  thief  while 
he  refused  to  explain  how  the  twenty  pounds  came 
into  his  possession  ;  or,  to  take  the  mildest  view,  he 
was  the  accomplice  of  the  thief — the  accessory  after 
the  fact.  He  could  not  sp e  this ;  he  did  not  want  to 
see  it. 

Wilton  was  terrified  when  he  heard  of  the  arrest  of 
McLeish,  and  expected  every  moment  to  be  called  to 
an  account ;  but  the  next  afternoon  the  officers  and 
crews  of  both  vessels  started  for  Birmingham,  and  not 
a  word  had  been  said  to  him,  or  about  him,  so  far  as 
he  knew.  The  party  did  not  return  till  the  next  night, 
and  he  found  an  opportunity,  as  he  and  Monroe  had 
the  run  of  both  vessels  while  they  lay  alongside  each 
other,  to  have  a  talk  with  McLeish. 

The  prisoner  proudly  rehearsed  his  fidelity  to  his 
employer,  assuring  him  that  a  MacGregor  never 
betrayed  a  friend,  and  that  he  would  rot  in  the  brig 
before  he  would  open  his  mouth. 

"  But,  Wilton,  you  cheated  me,"  said  he,  reproach 
fully.  "  You  told  me  I  could  not  get  into  any  scrape." 

"  I  didn't  mean  to  get  you  into  any  scrape.  I  didn't 
know  the  safe  of  the  Josephine  had  been  robbed," 
replied  Wilton,  earnestly. 

"  You   didn't,  lad  !    Yes,  you   did  !     Didn't  you  tak 
the  money  yourself?  "  interposed  McLeish. 
24* 


282  RED   CROSS,    OR 

"  No,  I  did  not.  I'm  certain  none  of  the  fellows  in 
the  ship  knew  that  the  safe  had  been  robbed.  I'm 
sure  I  didn't." 

"  It's  no  use,  lad,  for  you  to  tal  me  that." 

"  When  was  the  safe  robbed  ?  "  asked  Wilton. 

"At  Holyhead." 

"  Then  you  may  know  I  didn't  do  it.  I  never 
put  foot  on  the  Josephine  till  we  moored  in  this  dock 
yesterday.  You  know  I  couldn't  have  meddled  with 
her  safe.  Did  you  see  me  aboard  the  consort  while 
we  were  at  Holyhead  ?  " 

"  That's  true,  lad ;  and  it  couldn't  have  been  you, 
any  more  than  it  was  me,"  answered  McLeish,  con 
vinced  by  this  argument. 

"  I  told  you  the  truth  about  the  money  —  I  did, 
upon  my  word  and  honor,"  protested  Wilton. 

"  All  richt,  lad ;  I  believe  you  now,  and  I  feel 
easier.  I  didn't  like  to  stay  in  here  for  a  fallow  who 
had  been  stealing  money  ;'  but  if  you  are  no  guilty,  you 
may  trust  me  till  the  end  of  the  world." 

"  I'm  not  guilty." 

Wilton  was  selfish  enough  to  let  the  prisoner  remain 
in  durance  as  long  as  the  offence  required,  which  he 
believed  would  be  only  a  few  days  longer ;  for  Perth 
had  informed  him  that  the  ranks  of  the  Red  Cross 
Knights  were  full,  and  as  soon  as  the  Josephine  reach 
ed  a  port  where  she  could  go  to  sea  without  a  pilot,  he 
intended  to  put  the  grand  scheme  into  execution.  It 
was  understood  that  the  squadron  would  next  sail  for 
the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  this  would  be  a  good  locality  v 
for  carrying  out  the  enterprise. 

The  chief  conspirator  did  not  consider  it  safe  to  tell 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN   ENGLAND   AND    WALES.       283 

McLeish  what  was  in  contemplation,  but  he  assured 
him  that  something  would  happen  in  a  few  days  which 
would  set  him  at  liberty.  The  prisoner  teased  to 
know  what  it  was,  but  Wilton  kept  his  secret,  and  a 
footstep  on  the  deck  drove  him  away  from  the  brig 
before  his  constancy  was  very  severely  tried. 

After  a  three  hours'  ride  by  fast  train  the  students 
arrived  at  Birmingham  at  about  six  o'clock  —  in 
season  to  see  a  specimen  of  the  city  before  they 
retired.  In  thirty  years  this  place  has  tripled  its 
population,  being  now  next  to  Glasgow  in  size.  It 
contains  nothing  of  special  interest  to  the  tourist, 
except  its  manufactories  of  hardware.  After  another 
walk  through  the  town,  the  excursionists  went  to 
Stratford  on  Avon,  the  birthplace  of  Shakspeare, 
twenty-two  and  a  half  miles  from  Birmingham  by 
railway. 

Ben  Duncan,  the  poet,  went  into  ecstasies  when  the 
party  entered  the  house  where  the  immortal  bard 
was  born.  He  "  spouted "  Shakspeare  in  quantity, 
and  declared  that  he  had  lived  long  enough.  The 
house  has  been  purchased  by  subscription,  and  is  kept 
in  as  nearly  its  original  condition  as  possible.  The 
boys  wandered  about  the  town  for  an  hour,  and  some 
of  them  were  susceptible  enough  to  realize  that  they 
were  in  the  midst  of  scenes  on  which  the  master  poet 
of  England  had  gazed,  and  to  be  moved  by  the  fact. 
Ben  Duncan  did  not  recover  from  his  raptures  till 
the  train  stopped  on  the  verge  of  the  city  of  Bristol, 
to  enable  the  guard  to  pick  up  the  passengers'  tickets. 

As  it  was  but  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  the 
train  stopped  near  the  Ashley  Road,  Mr.  Lowington 


284  RED    CROSS,    OR 

decided  to  visit  Mr.  Muller's  Orphan  Asylum,  located 
in  this  quarter  of  the  town.  The  founder  of  this  insti 
tution  has  a  world-wide  reputation  as  a  philanthropist, 
and  his  history  is  without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of 
benevolent  enterprise. 

George  Miiller  was  born  in  Prussia,  in  1805.  \Vhile 
a  student  at  the  university  in  his  native  land,  he 
consecrated  his  life  to  preaching  and  piety,  and  deter 
mined  "  to  go  about  doing  good."  He  went  to 
England,  and  ap'plied  for  a  place  in  the  East  where  he 
might  preach  the  gospel.  He  lived  for  a  time  at 
Teignmouth,  in  Devonshire,  proclaiming  the  truth  to 
the  poor,  and  living  upon  the  scanty  contributions  of 
a  few  friends.  In  connection  with  Mr.  Craik,  a  Scotch 
man,  he  opened  a  small  chapel  for  the  poor  at  Bristol, 
where  his  attention  was  attracted  by  the  wants  of  the 
indigent  children,  and  he  established  an  institution 
for  the  purpose  of  instructing  them  in  their  religious 
duties.  He  commenced  the  enterprise  when  he  and 
his  friend  possessed  only  a  shilling  between  them. 

Mr.  Miiller  afterwards  established  his  large  "  Orphan 
Houses,"  in  which  he  has  clothed,  fed,  and  educated 
upwards  of  a  thousand  children.  His  life  was  a  life 
of  prayer.  If  he  wanted  anything,  he  prayed  for  it, 
and  it  always  came.  Sometimes  it  happened  that 
there  was  not  a  penny  in  the  treasury  of  the  institu 
tion  to  buy  bread  for  the  children  ;  but  Miiller  did  not 
borrow  —  he  prayed  for  help.  He  never  applied  in 
person  to  any  human  being  for  money  or  assistance  ; 
and  he  fully  believed  that  the  means  to  carry  on  his 
work  came  to  him  in  answer  to  his  prayers.  In  this 
manner  he  has  received  more  thaa  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  pounds. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.     285 

Miiller's  story  was  told  to  the  boys  by  the  chaplain, 
who  regarded  the  philanthropist  as  a  "  remarkable 
man  of  God."  The  students  were  interested  in  the 
institution,  and  no  better  lesson  of  goodness  and  piety 
could  be  presented  to  them  than  this  visit  afforded. 

At  seven  o'clock  all  hands  were  on  board.  Mr. 
Lowington  paid  a  visit  to  McLeish  before  he  went  to 
his  cabin ;  but  he  found  him  as  obdurate  as  before. 
Supper  was  on  the  table  in  both  vessels,  and  after 
it  was  disposed  of,  though  the  students  were  very 
much  fatigued  by  the  journey  of  the  day,  the  order 
was  given  to  unmoor,  and  work  out  of  the  dock,  for  it 
was  full  tide  at  eight  o'clock.  A  steam  tug  had  been 
previously  engaged  to  tow  them  down  to  the  channel, 
and  before  ten  they  were  clear  of  King's  Roads,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  The  weather  was  pleasant,  and  a 
moderate  breeze  from  the  southward  indicated  a  pros 
perous  beginning  for  the  voyage. 

It  had  been  the  intention  of  the  principal  to  put  in 
at  Plymouth,  Cowes,  and  Folkestone  ;  but  he  was  so 
far  behind  time,  that  he  proposed  to  run  direct  for  the 
Thames.  Paul  Kendall  hoped  he  would  stop  at 
Cowes,  and  Mr.  Lowington  consented  to  do  so,  at  his 
request.  The  young  commander  blushed  as  he  asked 
this  favor,  and  felt  compelled  to  state  the  reason  of  it, 
which  the  principal  had  deemed  sufficient. 

After  the  watch  had  been  set  that  evening  on  board 
of  the  Josephine,  Paul  went  to  his  state-room,  and 
took  from  his  pocket  several  letters  which  had  been 
received  at  Bristol.  There  was  one  from  Grace 
Arbuckle,  which  he  read  more  than  once.  It  informed 
him  that  Mr.  Arbuckle  and  his  family  had  gone  to  the 


286  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Isle  of  Wight  to  spend  a  week  with  the  friends  with 
whom  they  were  staying  near  London.  A  previous 
letter  had  announced  that  they  expected  to  visit  Cowes. 
She  hoped  to  see  him  there,  and  Paul  hoped  so  too. 
What  would  she  say  when  she  learned  that  McLcish 
was  in  the  brig  again?  For  her  sake  he  took  more 
interest  in  the  young  reprobate  than  he  otherwise 
would  have  done.  As  he  thought  of  the  fair  reformer, 
he  went  into  the  steerage,  and  directed  the  prisoner  to 
be  brought  before  him.  Taking  him  into  his  state 
room,  where  they  could  be  entirely  alone,  he  talked 
very  kindly,  but  very  plainly,  to  him. 

"  I  didn't  steal  the  money,  Captain  Kendall,"  pro 
tested  McLeish,  with  so  much  earnestness  that  Paul 
was  almost  persuaded  to  believe  him. 

"I  do  not  say  that  you  did,  McLeish,  though  I 
believe  you  did,"  replied  Paul,  gently,  but  candidly. 

"  It's  no  fair  for  you  to  believe  it,  Captain  Kendall, 
when  I  tal  you  I  did  not." 

"  Then  tell  me  where  you  got  the  twenty  pounds." 

"  How  can  I  tal  you  without  betraying  the  secret 
of  another?" 

"  You  are  under  no  obligations  to  keep  such  a 
secret.  You  are  simply  defeating  the  ends  of  justice, 
and  in  doing  so  you  become  the  accessory  of  the  thief. 
You  are  screening  him,  if  there  is  any  such  person, 
from  punishment.  McLeish,  Miss  Arbuckle  will 
probably  come  on  board  of  the  Josephine  at  Cowes. 
What  shall  I  say  to  her  when  she  asks  for  you." 

"  Tal  her  I  suffer  myself  rather  than  betray  a  friend," 
replied  the  prisoner,  proudly. 

"  Very  well ;  if  you  choose  to  persist  in  your  present 
course.  I  cannot  help  it." 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      287 

"  You  will  find  out,  Captain  Kendall,  to  your  sorrow, 
some  day,  that  I  am  innocent." 

"  It  will  not  be  to  my  sorrow,  for  I  shall  say  to  you, 
as  I  say  to  you  now,  that  it  serves  you  right.  If  you 
are  not  guilty,  you  have  only  to  say  who  gave  you 
the  money,  and  if  your  statement  is  proved  to  be 
correct,  you  will  be  immediately  discharged." 

"  I'll  no  betray  my  friend,"  added  McLeish.  "  It's 
no  right  to  keep  me  in  the  brig  without  proving  the 
chairge  upon  me.  Can  you  show  that  the  bills  I 
changed  for  gold  were  the  ones  you  lost?" 

"  No,  I  cannot  prove  it ;  but  you  are  not  kept  in 
the  brig  for  stealing,  but  for  refusing  to  explain  where 
you  got  the  twenty  pounds,  since  it  is  against  the  rules 
of  the  Academy  for  any  student  to  keep  so  much  money 
about  him." 

"  I'm  content  to  stay  in  the  brig  till  I  die  on  that 
chairge,"  added  McLeish,  with  something  like  defiance 
in  his  tones. 

Paul,  satisfied  that  nothing  could  be  made  out  of  the 
prisoner,  ordered  him  back  to  the  brig.  Pelham  had 
supposed  that,  when  he  took  the  numbers  of  the  notes 
in  Liverpool,  he  had  furnished  the  means  for  identi 
fying  them  ;  but  neither  Mr.  Lowington  nor  Paul  had 
noted  down  the  numbers  of  the  bills,  as  very  many 
people  in  England  do  when  they  receive  them. 
Pelham's  memorandum  of  the  numbers  had  been 
carefully  preserved,  and  it  was  hoped  that  the  banker 
in  Liverpool,  who  had  paid  them  to  the  principal, 
would  be  able  to  inform  him  whether  they  were 
received  from  him.  He  had  been  written  to  on  the 
subject,  and  his  reply  was  expected  at  London. 


288  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Wilton  was  beginning  to  breathe  easier.  He  was 
not  called  to  account  for  keeping  Murdock's  bills,  and 
before  the  ship  reached  Land's  End,  he  concluded  that 
the  new  hand  had  not  said  anything  to  him  about  the 
matter. 

"  Now  own  up  honestly,  Murdock,  that  you  didn't 
say  anything  to  Lowington,"  said  Wilton,  as  the  ship 
was  going  through  the  channel  between  Land's  End 
and  the  Scilly  Islands. 

"  Ah,  but  I  did  tell  him  all  about  it,"  persisted 
Murdock,  who  did  not  consider  it  safe  to  take  the 
back  track  —  it  would  damage  his  veracity,  if  noth 
ing  else. 

"  What's  the  reason  Lowington  hasn't  hauled  me  up, 
then?" 

"  The  principal  knows  what  he  is  about,"  replied 
Murdock,  mysteriously.  "  I  suppose  he  expects  you 
to  deny  the  charge." 

"  Of  course  I  shall,  because  you  didn't  give  me  any 
money." 

"Mr.  Lowington  is  waiting  till  he  can  prove  it,  I 
reckon,"  added  Murdock.  "  No  doubt  he  will  be  able 
to  prove  it.  Do  you  happen  to  know  why  McLeish 
was  put  in  the  brig  the  other  day  at  Bristol?" 

By  this  time  the  robbery  of  the  safe  was  patent  to  all 
in  both  vessels,  and  Wilton  gave  the  reason,  as  he 
understood  it. 

11  That's  not  the  reason,"  replied  Murdock.  "  He 
was  put  in  the  brig  for  refusing  to  tell  who  gave  him 
the  twenty  pounds,  which  he  exchanged  for  gold.  Do 
you  know  Mr.  Pelham  took  the  numbers  of  those 
notes  at  the  bankers'  in  Bristol  ?  " 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IX    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      289 

"  What  if  he  did?"  asked  Wilton. 

"  You  can't  see  half  an  inch  beyond  your  own 
nose,"  added  Murdock,  contemptuously. 

"  Perhaps  I  can't,  but  if  my  nose  were  as  long  as 
yours,  I  ought  not  to  be  expected  to  see  a  great  ways 
beyond  it ;  at  least  not  without  a  spy-glass,"  retorted 
Wilton. 

"  I  thought  you  could  smell  a  mice  when  there  was 
a  mice  round." 

"  So  I  can."  , 

"  No,  you  can't ;  your  smellers  are  worse  than 
useless,  or  you  would  know  what  the  principal  is 
waiting  for." 

"What  is  he  waiting  for?" 

"  Do  you  think  I  don't  know  where  McLeish  got 
the  twenty  pounds  ?  " 

"  If  you  do,  why  don't  you  tell,  and  get  him  out  of 
the  scrape?"  demanded  Wilton,  uneasily;  for  the 
odor  of  the  mice  was  beginning  to  be  apparent  to 
him. 

"You  don't  know  that  I  haven't." 

"Haven't  what?" 

"  Told  where  McLeish  got  the  money." 

"  Well,  where  did  he  get  it?"    asked  Wilton. 

"  It  was  my  twenty  pounds,  of  course,  and  you  gave 
it  to  him  to  get  it  changed  for  gold.  Just  as  soon  as 
my  father  sends  down  the  numbers  of  the  bank  notes 
he  paid  me,  your  head  will  go  on  the  block,  Mr. 
Wilton,  and  you  will  find  out  just  how  mean  it  is  to 
cheat  a  fellow  out  of  his  money." 

Wilton  tried  to  laugh  and  look  unconcerned,  but 
the  effort  was  a  failure.  He  felt  as  though  he  had 


290  RED    CROSS,    OR 

been  suddenly  plunged  into  a  tank  of  hot  water, 
which  was  even  then  scalding  him. 

"  When  will  your  father  send  down  the  numbers  of 
the  bank  notes?  "  he  asked. 

"  When  we  get  to  London." 

"  All  right,"  thought  Wilton,  who  intended  to  be  at 
sea  in  the  Josephine  before  that  time  ;  but  he  said 
nothing. 

"  Your  time  will  come,  my  lad,"  added  Murdock. 

"  So  will  yours,"  answered  Wilton,  determined,  if 
possible,  to  get  even  with  his  tantalizer.  "  Though  I 
cannot  see  the  length  of  your  nose,  I  can  see  the 
length  of  my  own." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  asked  Murdock, 
disturbed  in  his  turn. 

"Who  robbed  the  safe?  That's  the  question," 
sneered  Wilton. 

"Who  did?" 

"  It  was  done  by  you,  McLeish,  or  the  mainmast  of 
the  Josephine,  and  neither  McLeish  nor  the  mainmast 
did  it,"  retorted  Wilton,  as  he  turned  on  his  heel  and 
walked  away. 

Wilton  had  really  no  idea  who  had  robbed  the  safe. 
Since  the  theft  had  come  out,  it  had  been  thoroughly 
discussed  among  the  students ;  and  they,  like  the  prin 
cipal  and  the  officers,  had  come  to  the  conclusion, 
from  their  knowledge  of  the  circumstances,  that  the 
theft  lay  between  Murdock  and  McLeish.  The  new 
hand  had  a  cold  sweat.  He  felt  that,  after  all  the  cun 
ning  and  care  he  had  used  in  covering  up  his  tracks 
after  the  robbery,  his  crime  was  almost  sure  to  find 
him  out. 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      29! 

He  was  confident  that  the  bills  McLeish  had  ex 
changed,  were  those  of  which  Wilton  had  defrauded 
him.  If  the  prisoner  explained  where  the  notes  came 
from,  he  would  be  discharged,  and  the  crime  would 
then  be  charged  upon  him  —  where  it  belonged.  He 
was  in  despair,  and  was  fully  resolved  to  run  away  the 
very  next  time  he  was  allowed  to  go  on  shore  ;  and  in 
anticipation  of  this  event,  he  followed  one  of  the  cooks 
down  into  the  hold  that  day,  and  recovered  the  stolen 
money,  which  he  had  deposited  in  the  bottle,  smashing 
it  on  a  cask  to  get  at  its  contents. 

On  Monday  afternoon  the  two  vessels  passed  near 
enough  to  Eddystone  Light-house  to  enable  the  stu 
dents  to  see  this  wonderful  structure,  and  being  favored 
with  a  fair  and  fresh  breeze,  came  to  anchor  the  next 
morning  in  the  harbor  of  Cowes,  which  is  the  prin 
cipal  seaport  of  the  Isle  of  Wight. 


RED    CROSS,    OR 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

AROUND    THE    ISLE    OF    WIGHT. 

OUR  time  has  come,  Perth,"  said  Wilton,  impres 
sively,  to  the  future  captain  of  the  Josephine, 
after  the  sails  of  the  ship  had  been  furled.  "  We 
mustn't  put  it  off  another  day,"  he  added,  as  he 
chalked  a  red  cross  on  the  lapel  of  his  companion's 
coat,  when  he  had  already  made  one  on  his  own. 

"  I  am  ready,  and  so  are  our  gallant  crew,"  replied 
Perth,  briskly.  "  The  two  vessels  lie  first  rate  for  the 
undertaking,  and  I  don't  see  anything  to  prevent  a 
perfect  success." 

"  Nor  I,  if  the  fellows  move  quick  and  obey  orders  ; 
but  we  must  have  our  arrangements  all  made,  so  that 
we  can  move  without  a  moment's  delay." 

"  That's  so ;  but  I  know  every  fellow,  and  can 
give  him  his  instructions  in  two  minutes,"  added 
Perth. 

"  How  many  are  there  ?  " 

"  Twenty-five,  besides  myself." 

"  In  the  first  place,"  continued  Wilton,  "  we  must 
all  be  left  on  board  this  afternoon,  when  the  ship's 
company  go  on  shore." 

"  That's  the  difficult  matter,"  said  Perth. 

"What's   the   difficulty   about   it?     We  have  only 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALE?.    293 

to  cut  up  sharp  enough  ;    or  rather  you  have,  for  Ike 
Monroe  and  I  will  have  to  stay  aboard  any  how." 

"What  shall  we  do?"  asked  Perth.  "There  are 
twenty-five  of  us,  and  it  is  not  an  easy  thing  for  us  to 
cut  up  just  enough  to  be  left  on  board." 

"  I'll  tell  you  how  to  manage  it.  In  the  first  place, 
you  must  chalk  every  fellow's  back  this  morning." 

"  Chalk  every  fellow's  back  on  the  lapel  of  his 
jacket,  you  mean,"  laughed  Perth. 

"  Of  course ;  that's  the  meaning  we  give  to  the 
words  ;  and  if  we  understand  it,  that's  enough." 

"  Go  on  ;  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  At  half  past  one,  the  lessons  will  all  be  finished  ; 
and  before  the  fellows  leave  the  steerage,  Lowington 
will  announce,  as  usual,  that  an  allowance  of  two  shil 
lings  will  be  paid  to  each  student,  and  all  hands  will 
go  ashore  at  two  o'clock.  The  professors  will  go  to 
their  state-rooms  to  put  on  a  clean  dickey.  Lowing 
ton  will  take  his  place  in  the  main  cabin  to  mark  the 
orders,  and  all  the  fellows  will  form  a  line  to  march 
round  the  main  cabin  to  receive  their  money.  Don't 
you  see  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  see ;  that's  the  way  it  is  always  done. 
What  then?"  demanded  Perth,  impatiently,  for  the 
matter  was  becoming  exciting  to  him. 

"  Then  all  the  Knights,  except  Ike  Monroe  and  me, 
will  quietly  slip  up  the  ladder  to  the  deck." 

"  But  they  won't  get  their  two  shillings." 

"What  odds  does  that  make?  We  shall  find  all 
the  money  we  want  in  the  Josephine  —  two  or  three 
hundred  pounds,,  at  least.  You  don't  want  the  paltry 
two  shillings." 

25* 


294  RED  CROSS>  °R 

"  Go  ahead ;  it  is  almost  seven  bells,  and  we  shall 
be  piped  to  breakfast  before  you  get  through,  if  you 
don't  hurry  up." 

"  Don't  interrupt  me,  then.  The  boats  will  all  be 
ready  at  the  swinging  boom  ;  for  when  they  are  going 
ashore  in  the  afternoon,  the  boats  are  always  lowered 
at  recess,  so  that  there  shall  be  no  delay.  As  soon  as 
you  get  on  deck  with  the  Knights,  make  a  rush  over 
the  side,  and  get  into  the  captain's  gig,  or  the  pro 
fessor's  barge,  whichever  one  lies  most  convenient  to 
the  accommodation  ladder." 

"  But  the  boats  will  be  at  the  swinging  boom." 

"  So  they  will.  Well,  one  of  you  must  drop  down 
from  the  boom,  cast  off  her  painter,  after  sliding 
down  into  her,  and  run  her  up  to  the  gangway." 

"  We  can  manage  all  that." 

"  As  soon  as  you  get  into  the  boat,  up  with  your 
oars,  and  pull  away." 

"  Suppose  we  should  find  Peaks  or  Bitts,  or  both 
of  them,  on  deck,"  suggested  Perth. 

"  Tell  them  Lowington  wants  to  see  them  in  the 
steerage.  As  soon  as  you  get  off  in  the  boat,  some 
one  will  be  likely  to  observe  you  ;  and  there  will  be  a 
big  row.  Two  boats  will  be  sent  after  you,  and,  of 
course,  you  will  be  caught  and  brought  back.  Just 
say,  when  Lowington  hauls  you  up,  that  the  Jose 
phines  have  more  liberty  than  we  do,  and  you  were 
going  ashore  to  have  a  good  time  on  your  own  hook. 
You  can  be  penitent,  and  snivel  as  much  as  you  have  a 
mind  to  —  the  more  the  better.  Then  you  will  be 
sentenced  to  stay  on  board  while  the  rest  of  the  fellows 
go  ashore  ;  which  will  be  just  the  thing  we  want." 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND   WALES.      295 

"  Hush  up  !  There's  Murdock,"  said  Perth,  as  the 
new  hand  approached  them. 

"  I  hate  that  fellow  !  "  replied  Wilton. 

Murdock  jumped  upon  the  top-gallant  forecastle, 
where  the  conspirators  were  discussing  their  plan, 
and  took  a  survey  of  West  Cowes,  and  the  beauti 
ful  yachts  which  were  moored  near  it.  He  glanced 
at  the  pair  of  Red  Cross  Knights,  and  observed  the 
insignia  of  the  order  upon  the  lapel  of  their  jackets. 
While  he  stood  there,  all  hands  were  piped  to  break 
fast.  Murdock  fully  intended  that  this  should  be  his 
last  day  on  board.  McLeish  would  "  cave  in  "  before 
many  days,  and  this  event  would  be  likely  to  fasten 
the  robbery  upon  him.  It  would  not  be  a  very  diffi 
cult  matter  to  slip  away  from  the  chaplain,  who  had 
the  charge  of  the  shore  squad,  to  which  he  belonged, 
and  then  take  a  steamer  for  Southampton.  But  he 
was  deeply  interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  Red  Cross 
Knights,  and  in  spite  of  the  fears  which  disturbed 
him,  he  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  have  some 
fun  at  their  expense. 

As  he  went  down  to  breakfast,  he  took  one  of  the 
red  crayons  used  for  map-drawing  at  the  blackboards, 
and  made  the  red  cross  on  his  lapel.  In  the  course 
of  the  morning,  before  the  studies  were  commenced, 
every  true  Knight  was  duly  chalked,  and  his  instruc 
tions  given  him.  At  recess,  Murdock  looked  about 
him,  and  saw  who  they  were.  The  boats  were 
lowered,  and  dinner  disposed  of.  By  this  time  the 
Red  Cross  Knights  were  as  thick  as  rain  drops  in  a 
thunder  shower  ;  for  Murdock  had  £een  busy,  even  in 
school  hours,  with  his  crayon.  Not  less  than  half  a 
dozen  of  tha  officers  had  their  "  backs  "  chalked. 


296  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Just  before  the  students  were  summoned  to  the 
steerage  to  finish  the  exercises  of  the  day,  Howe,  a 
genuine  Red  Cross  Knight,  walked  up  to  him  with 
his  fore  finger  extended  in  index  form.  Murdock 
promptly  crossed  it. 

"  Are  you  a  Red  Cross  Knight?"  said  Howe. 

«  I  am." 

"Has  your  back  been  chalked?" 

"It  has." 

"Who  chalked  it?" 

"  A  red  Knight  of  the  Red  Cross  chalked  it  red." 

"  All  right ;  but  I  didn't  know  it  before.  Are 
you  one,  though  ?  "  demanded  Howe,  puzzled  by  the 
promptness  and  the  correctness  with  which  the  cross 
had  been  made,  and  the  questions  had  been  answered. 

"Haven't  I  proved  that  I  am  one?"  replied  Mur 
dock. 

"  You  have,  but  your  name  isn't  down  on  the  roll." 

"  It  ought  to  be." 

The  call  to  recitations  disturbed  the  conference  be 
fore  Murdock  had  obtained  the  information  he  wanted. 
Perth  and  Wilton  had  been  appalled  at  the  number  of 
Red  Cross  Knights  which  appeared  at  recess.  They 
and  other  members  of  the  order  had  elevated  the  fore 
finger  in  position  to  be  crossed,  but  the  signal  had  not 
been  answered  by  any  one  except  Murdock. 

"  There's  a  traitor  among  us,"  whispered  Wilton, 
as  they  went  below. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  replied  Perth ;  "I  tried  half  a 
dozen  of  them,  but  not  one  could  make  the  signal." 

"  But  more  tlfen  fifty  fellows  have  their  backs 
chalked." 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN   ENGLAND   AND   WALES.      297 

"  It's  only  a  joke.  Some  fellow  noticed  the  cross, 
and  marked  the  others.  It  is  all  right,  and  we  will 
put  things  through  as  we  arranged." 

When  the  recitations  were  finished,  Mr.  Lowington 
made  the  usual  announcement  that  the  ship's  company 
would  go  on  shore  ;  and  the  students  were  required  to 
form  the  line,  and  present  their  orders.  The  genuine 
Red  Cross  Knights  obeyed  their  instructions,  going  on 
deck,  some  by  the  main  hatch,  and  some  by  the  fore 
hatch,  and  only  one  at  a  time,  so  as  not  to  attract  at 
tention.  By  the  time  the  students  in  the  steerage  had 
written  their  orders  and  formed  the  line,  all  the 
Knights  were  on  deck,  and  one  more. 

Murdock  had  not  ceased  to  watch  Perth  and  Howe, 
who,  he  knew,  were  Knights ;  and,  as  it  was  evident 
that  "  the  time  had  come,"  he  was  determined  to  know 
what  it  all  meant.  Peaks,  the  boatswain,  was  not  on 
deck,  but  was  mending  the  foretop-gallant  shrouds, 
which  had  been  chafed  on  the  passage  from  Bristol. 
Bitts,  the  carpenter,  was  "planking"  the  deck  in  the 
waist.  Perth  politely  informed  him  that  Mr.  Lowing 
ton  wished  to  see  him,  and  he  hastened  below,  leaving 
the  deck  without  an  officer. 

Howe  ran  out  on  the  swinging  boom,  and  sliding 
down  on  the  rope  to  which  the  barge's  painter  was 
made  fast,  cast  off,  and  worked  the  boat  up  to  the 
gangway.  The  rest  of  the  conspirators  .tumbled  in 
*as  fast  as  they  could.  The  oars  went  up,  and  the  boat 
pushed  off.  Murdock,  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  Knights 
creeping  up  on  deck,  followed  them,  and  tumbled  into 
the  boat  with  the  others. 

"  Avast,  there  !     What's  up  now  ?  "  shouted  Peaks 


298  RED    CROSS,    OR 

from  aloft,  satisfied  by  the  confusion  with  which  the 
students  had  embarked  that  the  proceeding  was  irreg 
ular. 

He  hastened  down,  and  rolling  into  the  main  cabin, 
where  Bitts  was  waiting,  cap  in  hand,  for  Mr.  Low- 
vngton  to  say  what  he  wanted,  — 

"  Beg  pardon,  sir ;  but  did  you  or  the  officers  send 
?he  boat  away?"  inquired  Peaks. 

"  What  boat?  "  demanded  Mr.  Lowington. 

"  The  barge,  sir.  She  just  left  the  ship  with  more 
than  twenty  in  her ;  but  I  didn't  see  any  officers," 
added  Peaks. 

"  Who  was  in  charge  of  the  boats?  " 

"  Mr.  Bitts,  sir.     I  was  aloft." 

"  I  was  in  charge  of  the  boats,  sir,"  interposed  the 
carpenter  ;  "  but  one  of  the  lads  just  came  to  me,  and 
said  you  wished  to  see  me.  I  have  been  standing  here 
waiting  your  orders." 

"  I  sent  no  one  to  you,"  replied  the  principal,  who 
readily  perceived  that  some  mischief  was  in  prog 
ress. 

All  hands  were  piped  to  muster,  the  money  boxes 
put  away,  and  the  business  of  the  hour  suspended. 
The  crews  of  the  gig  and  first  cutter  were  sent  over 
the  side,  and  with  Mr.  Fluxion  in  one,  and  Peaks  in 
the  other,  they  started  in  pursuit  of  the  deserters. 
The  barge  was  pulling  up  the  river,  instead  of  to  the 
nearest  shore.  For  the  sake  of  keeping  up  appear-* 
ances,  Perth  ordered  the  oarsmen  to  pull  with  all  their 
might ;  but  half  of  them  were  green  hands,  disposed 
to  "  catch  crabs,"  and  the  race  was  a  short  one. 
When  the  two  pursuing  boats  came  up,  the  runaways 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN   ENGLAND   A^TD   WALES.      299 

ceased  rowing,  and  surrendered  at  discretion,  accord 
ing  to  the  programme.  Mr.  Fluxion  and  Peaks 
stepped  into  the  baiige. 

"  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  now?"  demanded 
the  professor  of  mathematics. 

"  We  don't  have  fair  play,"  growled  Perth,  who 
was  in  the  stern-sheets. 

"  You  will  probably  get  fair  play  now." 

"  All  the  Josephines  have  their  liberty  when  they 
go  on  shore,  and  we  would  like  the  same  privilege." 

"  Where  were  you  going?"  asked  Mr.  Fluxion. 

"  On  shore,  sir." 

"What  for?" 

"  Only  to  enjoy  ourselves.  We  intended  to  come 
back  before  night,"  answered  Perth. 

"  Pull  for  the  ship,"  said  Mr.  Fluxion,  sharply. 
"  Take  the  helm,  Mr.  Peaks." 

The  boys  pulled  again,  and  the  boatswain  steered 
for  the  ship.  Murdock,  who  did  not  understand  the 
programme,  was  the  only  one  who  was  disappointed. 
With  eighty  pounds  in  his  pocket,  he  was  ready  to 
leave,  and  to  enjoy  himself  as  long  as  he  could  on  his 
ill-gotten  treasure.  He  supposed  the  conspirators  in 
tended  to  land  when  they  got  into  the  boat,  and  the 
opportunity  just  suited  his  case.  Perth  told  him  they 
did  not  want  him,  but  he  would  not  leave,  and  delay 
would  be  fatal. 

"  Murdock  is  not  one  of  us  ;  let  no  fellow  say  a 
word,"  called  Perth,  as  soon  as  the  boat  put  off. 

Thus  cautioned,  no  one  did  say  a  word,  and  Mur 
dock  was  left  ignorant  of  the  real  purpose  of  the 
appnrent  deserters. 


3OO  *        RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Take  their  names  before  they  come  on  board,  Mr. 
Fluxion,"  said  the  principal  from  the  gangway,  as  the 
barge  approached  the  ship. 

The  list  of  the  Red  Cross  Knights,  including  Mur- 
dock,  was  written  down  by  the  professor,  and  the  run 
aways  sent  on  board.  They  were  hauled  up  at  the 
mainmast,  in  due  form,  and  stated  their  excuse  for 
deserting,  as  they  had  to  Mr.  Fluxion. 

"  Your  liberty  is  stopped  till  further  orders,"  said 
Mr.  Lowington,  just  as  Wilton  had  planned  the  af 
fair. 

The  excuse  which  Perth  had  given  troubled  the 
principal.  It  certainly  was  not  fair  that  the  crew  of 
the  Josephine  should  have  greater  privileges  than  the 
crew  of  the  ship.  Yet  the  former  had  an  inducement 
to  keep  them  orderly,  which  the  latter  did  not  have, 
and  it  would  not  be  prudent  to  permit  the  half-disci 
plined  recruits  of  the  Young  America  to  visit  the 
shore  without  any  restraint.  There  was  no  remedy 
at  present,  for  as  long  as  the  Josephines  did  not  abuse 
their  liberty,  it  was  not  fair  to  deprive  them  of  it. 
The  matter  was  left  for  future  consideration  and  cor 
rection. 

The  business  of  paying  the  allowances  proceeded  in 
the  steerage  ;  but  before  it. was  finished,  Captain  Ken 
dall  appeared,  and  announced  that  Mr.  Arbuckle,  his 
family  and  friends,  had  just  arrived  on  board  of  the 
consort. 

"  There's  going  to  be  a  race  between  two  yachts  • 
this  afternoon,  sir,"  said   Paul,  with   no  little  excite 
ment  in  his  manner. 

"  I  am  willing,"  laughed  the  principal. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.      301 

"Mr.  Arbuckle  and  his  friends  have  come  off  to 
our  vessel  to  see  them  start,"  added  Paul. 

"  I  am  still  willing,  and  I  hope  you  will  entertain 
them  as  well  as  your  means  will  permit." 

"  I  will,  sir ;  but  I  want  to  follow  the  race,  for  there 
is  a  piping  breeze,  and  I  believe  I  can  beateither  one  / 
of  the  yachts,"  continued  the  young  commander,  with 
enthusiasm.    "  Our  officers  and  crew  would  rather  run 
with  the  race  than  go  on  shore." 

"  I  am  willing,  Captain  Kendall.  Do  you  propose 
to  enter  for  the  race?" 

"  No,  sir ;  the  race  is  between  those  two  yachts, 
and  no  others  enter.  Captain  Dashover,  one  of  Mr. 
Arbuckle's  friends,  is  an  old  yachtman,  and  knows  all 
about  the  course,  which  is  round  the  Isle  of  Wight. 
I  did  not  dare  to  invite  them  without  your  permis 
sion." 

"  It  would  not  have  been  proper  for  you  to  do  so  ; 
but  you  have  my  permission.  But,  Captain  Kendall, 
none  of  our  ship's  company,  except  the  doctor,  have 
even  sailed  in  the  Josephine,  not  even  myself.  Per 
haps  you  will  be  willing  to  invite  us,"  added  the 
principal,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  should  be  delighted  to  have  the  whole  ship's 
company  !  "  exclaimed  Paul. 

"  I  thank  you,  and  I  will  put  it  to  vote.  If  the 
officers  and  crew  prefer  to  accept  your  invitation 
rather  than  visit  the  shore,  I  will  allow  them  to  do  so." 

Paul  hastened  back  to  the  Josephine,   invited  his 
party  to  follow  the  race,  and  ordered  his  first  lieuten 
ant  to  bend  on  the  fore  square-sail.     On  board  the 
ship,  all  hands  were  piped  to  muster,  and  the  question 
26 


3O2  RED    CROSS,    OR 

put  to  them  whether  they  would  go  on  shore,  or  make 
the  excursion  in  the  Josephine.  The  decision  was 
unanimously  in  favor  of  the  race,  especially  as  the 
ship's  company  were  to  have  a  sail  in  the  Josephine, 
which  they  had  desired  ever  since  they  saw  her. 

"What  do  you  think  of  that?"  demanded  Tom 
Perth,  as  soon  as  the  vote  had  been  taken. 

"  Our  cake  is  dough  again  !  "  replied  Wilton,  dis 
gusted  with  the  proceedings  of  the  majority  of  the 
students. 

"  As  usual !  "  snarled  Monroe. 

"  A  pretty  scrape  you  have  got  us  into  !  "  exclaimed 
Howe.  '•  Instead  of  having  a  good  time  in  the  Jose 
phine,  we  have  to  mope  on  board  the  ship  all  the  after 
noon.  I  would  rather  have  followed  that  race  than  be 
commander  of  the  schooner  in  a  runaway  cruise." 

"This  is  what  we  had  our  liberty  stopped  for  —  is 
it?"  added  Greenway,  "Just  to  stick  on  board  while 
the  rest  of  the  fellows  are  having  some  tip-top  fun." 

"  It  is  not  my  fault,"  replied  Perth. 

"  Nor  mine,"  said  Wilton.  "  If  the  rest  of  the  fel 
lows  had  gone  ashore,  as  we  supposed  they  would, 
we  should  have  got  off  in  the  Josephine,  as  sure  as 
you  live." 

"  Perhaps  we  should,"  sneered  Howe. 

"  It's  no  use  to  grumble,  fellows,"  continued 
Wilton,  recovering  his  equanimity  in  some  degree. 
"  The  fellows  will  go  ashore  to-morrow,  if  they  don't 
to-day,  for  the  queen  has  a  palace  here,  and  they 
all  want  to  see  it." 

Perth  and  Wilton,  after  considerable  argument, 
partially  reconciled  the  Knights  of  the  Red  Cross  to 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.       303 

the  disappointment.  They  assured  the  Knights  they 
would  be  deprived  of  their  liberty  the  next  day,  when 
the  ship's  company  went  on  shore ;  and  an  opportu 
nity  would  be  offered  for  the  execution  of  the  grand 
scheme.  They  cautioned  the  members  of  the  valiant 
order  to  beware  of  Murdock,  and  not  give  him  the 
slightest  hint.  He  had  probably  heard  others  repeat 
the  dialogue,  and  had  learned  it ;  and  during  the  after 
noon,  while  the  conspirators  were  moping  about  the 
deck,  the  machinery  of  the  Knights  was  entirely 
changed.  A  new  dialogue  was  invented,  with  new 
signs  and  signals. 

Murdock  was  more  thoroughly  disgusted  than  any 
of  the  real  conspirators.  In  ignorantly  following  the 
Knights  he  had  defeated  his  own  purpose  ;  and  while 
his  companions  in  misfortune  were  reorganizing  their 
mysterious  band,  he  went  into  the  hold,  and  concealed 
the  bank  notes  in  another  bottle,  as  he  had  done 
before.  He  was  vexed  and  disheartened.  There  was 
no  way  to  get  on  shore,  and  the  grand  crash  which 
would  expose  him  could  not  long  be  deferred. 

The  boats  transferred  that  portion  of  the  ship's  com 
pany  which  had  not  been  deprived  of  their  liberty  to 
the  Josephine,  and  the  adult  forward  officers  returned 
to  the  Young  America  with  the  boats.  Paul  Kendall 
was  in  a  blaze  of  excitement.  Grace  Arbuckle  was 
on  board  his  vessel  with  her  friends.  The  anchor  was 
at  a  short  stay,  and  they  were  waiting  for  the  yachts 
to  start.  The  run  was  to  be  around  the  Isle  of  Wight, 
about  sixty-three  miles. 

The  contending  yachts  were  two  English  cutters ; 
that  is,  they  were  sloop-rigged,  with  a  topsail.  Both 


304  RED    CROSS,    OR 

were  of  about  the  same  tonnage  as  the  Josephine. 
The  gun  was  fired,  and  the  cutters  slipped  their 
moorings.  The  Josephine  had  previously  got  under 
way,  and  was  standing  out  of  the  harbor.  At  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  she  lay  to  till  the  yachts  were 
abreast  of  her.  The  wind  was  on  the  port  quarter, 
and  coming  very  fresh.  The  fore  square-sail  was  set, 
and  some  of  the  liveliest  sailing  the  students  had  ever 
beheld  followed  as  the  schooner  stood  down  the  So 
lent,  which  is  the  name  given  to  the  westerly  part  of 
the  channel  that  divides  the  island  from  the  main  land, 
while  the  eastern  section  is  called  Spithead. 

The  two  cutters  were  probably  not  of  the  fastest 
class  of  sailing  vessels  in  the  Royal  Yacht  Squadron, 
for  the  Josephine  outsailed  them,  because  she  carried 
sail  longer  than  they  could.  Outside  of  the  island  the 
sea  was  very  rough  ;  but  while  the  Josephine  made 
good  weather  of  it,  the  yachts  labored,  and  were 
finally  obliged  to  take  in  their  light  sails  aloft.  When 
they  had  passed  the  Needles,  the  vessels  went  close- 
hauled  against  a  head  sea,  till  they  were  off  the  south 
ern  point  of  the  island,  when  the  "  Stars  and  Stripes  " 
were  a  mile  ahead  of  the  "  Red  Cross"  at  the  peaks 
of  the  cutters.  Here  they  tacked  ;  and  the  sea  was  even 
rougher  than  on  the  other  side  of  the  isle,  and  the 
Josephine  gained  more  rapidly  than  before.  Every 
body  on  board,  including  the  ladies,  was  intensely 
excited,  for  the  motion  and  the  speed  of  the  schooner 
were  really  thrilling. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  Josephine  came  into  the 
harbor,  and  was  received  with  plentiful  cheering  by 
the  yachts  and  pleasure  boats  lying  at  anchor,  which 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      305 

were  returned  with  a  will  by  the  students  on  board. 
Half  an  hour  later  they  joined  in  the  applause  be 
stowed  upon  the  victorious  yacht,  which  came  in 
fifteen  minutes  ahead  of  her  rival. 

"  You  did  not  tell  me  that  McLeish  was  in  the 
cage  again,  Captain  Kendall,"  said  Grace,  reproach 
fully,  when,  after  the  schooner  had  come  to  anchor, 
she  ascertained  the  fact ;  for  she  had  been  too  much 
excited  by  the  race  to  think  of  anything  else  during 
the  passage. 

"  I  did  not  wish  to  spoil  the  pleasure  of  your  ex 
cursion,"  replied  Paul,  who  proceeded  to  give  her  the 
history  of  her  protege's  misconduct. 

"Will  you  let  me  see  him  again?"  she  asked. 

"  Certainly,  if  you  desire  it." 

McLeish  was  brought  into  the  cabin  by  Cleats, 
while  all  the  rest  of  the  party  were  on  deck  watching 
the  yachts. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  you  are  again  a  prisoner,  Mr. 
McLeish,"  said  she,  after  shaking  hands  with  the  cul 
prit. 

"  It's  no  my  fault  this  time,  miss.  I've  done  my 
bast,  but  I  couldn't  betray  my  friend." 

"  But  if  anybody  is  a  thief  or  a  robber,  he  ought 
not  to  be  your  friend,  or  any  good  man's  friend," 
replied  Grace. 

"  My  friend  is  not  a  thief,  nor  a  robber.  He  came 
honestly  by  the  money,  or  I  would  tal  all  about  it." 

"How  do  you  know  he  did?" 

"  I  know  very  well.  He  only  broke  through  one 
of  the  regulations,  and  that's  no  very  bad.  Even  the 
principal  says  we  a*e  not  to  give  voluntary  testimony 
26* 


306  RED    CROSS,    OR 

against  our  shipmates  for  breaking  the  rules,"  pro 
tested  McLeish. 

"  But  the  safe  has  been  robbed,  and  the  officers 
believe  you  are  the  guilty  one." 

"  I  am  not,  miss ;  and  as  long  as  I  am  innocent, 
they  may  just  think  what  they  please." 

"  This  is  wrong ;  you  are  helping  to  conceal  the 
guilty  person." 

u  You  don't  understand  it,  Miss  Arbuckle.  Will 
you  promise  not  to  speak  to  any  one  about  it,  if  I 
tal  you  the  whole  story?" 

"  I  will  not  promise,"  replied  Grace,  promptly. 

"  I  would  like  to  tal  you,  for  I  don't  wish  to  have 
you  think  I  am  guilty." 

"  I  can't  help  believing  so  while  you  behave  in  this 
.extraordinary  manner,"  added  she,  warmly. 

"  I  am  not  guilty,  and  my  friend  is  not  guilty." 

"  If  you  can  prove  to  me  that  your  friend  is  not 
guilty,  I  will  not  mention  his  name,"  she  continued, 
after  a  little  reflection. 

McLeish  was  satisfied,  and  told  the  whole  story  of 
his  relations  with  Wilton,  after  sending  Cleats  out  of 
the  cabin.  He  gave  her  the  name  of  tjhe  bankers, 
from  whom  Wilton,  in  his  desire  to  make  his  explana 
tion  plausible,  declared  he  had  obtained  the  money. 

"  If  he  obtained  the  notes  of  T.  Wiggin  &  Co.,  as 
he  says,  I  shall  believe  you  are  innocent.  I  will  go 
there  myself  when  we  reach  London,  and  ascertain," 
said  Grace. 

"  If  you  find  Wilton  did  not  get  the  money  as  he 
told  me,  you  may  just  tal  the  captain  what  I  say  as 
soon  as  you  please,"  replied  McLeish.  "  If  my  friend 
cheated  me,  I  don't  care  what  becomes  of  him." 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        30? 

"  I  will  keep  your  secret,  but  I  am  sorry  you  will 
have  to  stay  in  the  brig  several  days  more." 

"  As  long  as  I  am  innocent,  I  just  don't  care," 
laughed  McLeish.  "  I  have  labored  hard  to  be  good. 
I  think  you  are  an  angel,  and  you  —  " 

"  Thank  you  !  "  interposed  Grace.  "  I  hope,  O,  I 
do  hope,  you  will  be  proved  innocent." 

"I  shall." 

Grace  knocked  at  the  door  of  Captain  Kendall's 
state-room,  and  Paul  joined  her.  The  prisoner  was 
sent  back  to  the  brig,  and  the  fair  reformer  acknowl 
edged  that  she  had  not  been  able  to  change  his 

o  o 

purpose. 

The  crew  of  the  Young  America  returned  to  the 
ship,  the  passengers  were  landed,  and  the  day  of  ex 
citement  was  finished. 


508  RED    CROSS,    OR 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

UP    THE    THAMES. 

THE  afternoon  of  the  next  day  was  devoted  to  the 
visit  on  shore.  The  Knights  of  the  Red  Cross 
waited  with  feverish  impatience  for  the  arrangements 
to  be  completed.  They  were  confident  they  should 
be  kept  on  board,  and  an  opportunity  thus  afforded 
them  to  carry  out  their  daring  plan  in  regard  to  the 
Josephine.  They  were  punished  still  further,  and 
obliged  to  remain  on  board,  as  they  had  anticipated, 
and  a  boat  was  left  on  the  davits  for  their  especial  use, 
apparently. 

The  shore  party  landed  at  West  Cowes,  and  by  in 
vitation  paid  a  visit  to  the  Old  Castle,  now  converted 
into  the  Royal  Yacht  Squadron  Club-house.  It  was 
a  circular  fort  built  by  Henry  VIII.  for  the  defence  of 
the  coast.  It  is  now  a  regular  club-house,  having  a 
dining-room,  library,  reading-room,  and  other  apart 
ments.  The  harbor  was  full  of  yachts  belonging  to 
the  club,  for  Cowes  is  its  headquarters  from  May  to 
November  of  each  year. 

The  Royal  Yacht  Club  is  a  great  institution.  It  is 
composed  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  members  — 
noblemen  and  gentlemen  who  are  owners  of  yachts 
of  from  forty  to  four  hundred  and  fifty  tons.  The 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      309 

tonnage  of  the  yachts  belonging  to  the  squadron  ex 
ceeds  ten  thousand  tons,  and  gives  employment  to 
fourteen  hundred  seamen.  The  association  is  gener 
ously  encouraged  by  the  government,  for  it  fosters  and 
keeps  alive  a  taste  for  nautical  affairs,  and  is  a  nursery 
for  the  navy.  Three  days  in  August  of  each  year 
are  devoted  to  regattas,  when  the  yachts  sail  for  the 
plate  presented  by  the  queen,  valued  at  one  hundred 
guineas. 

Cowes  is  composed  of  two  parts,  one  on  each  side  of 
Medina  river,  which  at  its  mouth  is  about  a  mile  wide. 
The  two  points  of  land  were  formerly  called  the 
"  East  Cow,"  and  "  West  Cow,"  from  which  its  pres 
ent  name  is  derived.  The  party  crossed  the  ferry,  and 
obtained  a  partial  view  of  Norris  Castle  and  Osborne 
House,  the  latter  being  the  sea-shore  residence  of  her 
majesty,  and  the  former  was  occasionally  used  by  the 
Duchess  of  Kent,  the  mother  of  the  queen.  The 
Osborne  mansion  is  an  Italian  villa  on  a  large  scale, 
with  a  flag  tower  one  hundred  and  twelve  feet  high, 
and  a  clock  tower  ninety  feet  high.  Prince  Albert, 
it  is  said,  assisted  in  making  the  designs  for  the 
house. 

The  park  extends  down  to  the  sea-shore,  where 
there  are  bathing-houses  for  the  use  of  the  royal 
household.  Half  a  mile  from  the  house  is  a  roman 
tic  Swiss  cottage,  where  the  brood  of  young  princesses 
used  to  amuse  themselves  in  doing  kitchen  and  dairy 
work.  Adjoining  this  cottage  are  the  gardens  where 
in  these  young  ladies  used  to  cultivate  vegetables  with 
their  own  hands ;  and  it  is  said  that  'k  Her  Roy  a] 
Highness,  Victoria  Adelaide  Mary  Louisa,  Princess 


31O  RED    CROSS,    OR 

Royal  of  England  and  of  Prussia,"  has  vegetables  sent 
to  her  from  this  garden  up  to  the  present  time.  She 
was  a  good  girl,  but  probably  she  could  not  make  her 
living  by  raising  potatoes  and  cabbages. 

The  Osborne  estate  contains  two  thousand  acres, 
most  of  it,  of  course,  being  used  for  mere  pleasure  or 
ornamental  purposes.  Her  majesty  can  ride  eight 
miles  without  leaving  her  own  grounds.  Yet  the 
queen  occupies  this  residence  only  a  few  weeks  of 
each  year.  Royalty  is  an  expensive  luxury,  for  the 
sovereign  keeps  and  occupies  four  palaces  —  Bucking 
ham,  Windsor,  Balmoral,  and  Osborne.  Her  majes 
ty's  "  privy  purse  "  amounts  to  one  million  seven  hun 
dred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  This  is  the 
annual  allowance  paid  to  her  by  the  government,  in 
addition  to  which  she  has  an  immense  private  fortune. 
The  Prince  of  Wales  has  two  hundred  thousand  dol 
lars  a  year,  besides  his  private  revenues,  and  his  wife 
fifty  thousand  dollars.  Other  members  of  the  royal 
family  are  paid  from  fifteen  to  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars  out  of  the  nation's  pocket.  Prince  Alfred  has 
three  times  the  salary  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States. 

At  six  o'clock  the  excursionists  reached  the  landing- 
place  at  East  Cowes,  where  the  boats  were  waiting 
for  them  in  charge  of  the  adult  forward  officers.  The 
Josephine  still  lay  at  her  moorings  —  a  fact  which  may 
not  be  credible  to  the  reader,  after  being  informed  of 
the  well-laid  plans  of  Wilton,  Perth,  and  other  mem 
bers  of  the  valiant  order  of  Red  Cross  Knights.  Ev 
erything  had  been  left  on  board  of  the  ship  and  her 
consort,  apparently  as  the  prophets  had  predicted. 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.      31! 

The  cooks  and  under  stewards  were  the  only  persons 
left  in  the  vessels,  so  far  as  the  conspirators  knew. 

"  All  ready  !  "  said  Perth,  as  soon  as  the  boats  had 
left  the  ship.  "  Now  is  our  time  !  " 

"  Don't  be  in  a  hurry,  Tom,"  interposed  Wilton. 
"  We  inusn't  let  the  shore  party  see  us." 

"What  if  they  do  see  us?  We  can  get  the  Jose 
phine  under  way  before  they  can  reach  her." 

*'  Perhaps  we  can  ;  but  —  " 

"  We  can  slip  the  cable  !  "  said  Perth,  impatiently. 

"  And  go  to  sea  without  any  anchor,  or  with  only 
the  heavy  spare  one !  You  are  too  fast,  Perth.  Just 
wait  till  Lowington  crosses  over  to  the  other  side  of 
the  river,  where  he  won't  see  what  we  are  about. 
There  isn't  more  than  a  six-knot  breeze  blowing." 

"  What  odds  does  that  make?" 

"  They  will  chase  us.  Lowington  would  get  a 
steamer,  and  be  after  us.  We  must  have  two  or 
three  hours'  start  of  him,  or  it's  no  use,"  said  Wil 
ton,  decidedly. 

Perth  considered  this  good  logic,  and  was  content 
to  wait.  In  less  than  an  hour  the  boats  of  the  squad 
ron  crossed  the  river,  and  disappeared  within  a  basin. 
There  was  no  longer  any  reason  for  delay,  and  the 
conspirators  brought  up  their  pea-jackets.  The  cooks 
and  stewards  were  at  work  below,  getting  supper 
and  preparing  the  tables.  No  one  was  to  be  seen 
on  the  deck  of  the  Josephine,  and  everything  seemed 
to  be  remarkably  favorable  for  the  execution  of  the 
scheme. 

"  Man  the  falls ! "  shouted  Perth,  when  all  were 
ready. 


312  RED    CROSS,    OR 

"  Where  are  you  going?  "  asked  Murclock,  when  he 
was  satisfied  something  unusual  was  in  progress. 

"What's  that  to  you,  Greeny?"  replied  Wilton,  in 
the  most  unamiable  of  tones. 

"  If  you  are  going  on  shore,  I  want  to  go  with  you," 
answered  Murdock. 

"  You  can't  go  with  us.  We  don't  believe  in 
you." 

"  Let  me  go  with  you  —  that's  a  good  fellow." 

"  No,  sir  !  "  replied  Wilton,  decidedly.  "  I  won't 
have  anything  to  do  with  you  any  how." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Why  not,  you  humbug  !  Didn't  you  lie  to  Low- 
ington,  and  tell  him  I  had  some  money  of  yours?" 

"  No,  I  didn't.  I  sold  you.  I  haven't  said  a  word 
to  the  principal  about  the 'money,  and  don't  mean  to 
do  so." 

"  You  can't  humbug  me.     I  know  you  did." 

"  Upon  my  word  I  did  not !  You  know  he  hasn't 
said  a  word  to  you." 

"  What  did  you  tell  me  you  did  for?" 

"  Only  to  tease  you,  just  as  you  teased  me.  Let  me 
go  with  you  —  that's  a  good  fellow." 

But  it  did  not  suit  Wilton's  purpose  to  have  Mur 
dock  go,  even  if  all  grounds  of  prejudice  against  the 
applicant  had  been  removed. 

"  Bear  a  hand,  and  be  lively,  fellows,"  said  Wilton 
to  his  companions. 

u  I'll  give  you  something  if  you'll  let  me  go,"  per 
sisted  Murdock. 

"What  will  you  give  me?"  asked  Wilton,  hardly 
heeding  him. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND   WALES.       313 

"  I'll  give  you  five  pounds,"  added  the  applicant, 
determined  to  overcome  all  obstacles  by  a  liberal 
offer. 

"  No,"  replied  Wilton,  who  was  fearful  that  the  new 
hand  would  defeat  his  plan  if  permitted  to  join  the 
party. 

"  I'm  a  Red  Cross  Knight,  you  know." 

"  Who  gave  you  the  sign  ?  "  demanded  Wilton. 

"  I  heard  you  telling  it  to  Monroe,  in  the  steerage. 
I  pretended  to  be  asleep  afterwards,"  laughed  the  new 
hand.  "  I  will  give  you  ten  pounds." 

"  No,  you  eavesdropper  !  "  growled  Wilton. 

"  I'll  give  you  twenty." 

"  Where's  your  money  ?  " 

"  Down  below.     I'll  go  for  it." 

"Where  did  you  get  twenty  pounds?"  asked  Wil 
ton,  interested  in  spite  of  himself. 

"  My  father  sent  it  to  me  in  a  letter." 

"  Come,  Wilton  !  What  are  you  about ! "  inter 
posed  Perth.  "  We  are  all  ready  to  lower  the  boat." 

"  Lower  away  then  !  " 

"  What  does  all  this  mean  ?  "  demanded  Mr.  Fluxion, 
who  had  just  come  up  the  companion-way,  and  at  this 
moment  stepped  into  the  midst  of  the  boys. 

The  conspirators  were  stunned  and  appalled  by  his 
presence.  The  professor  of  mathematics  had  been 
troubled  with  a  severe  sick  headache,  and  instead  of 
going  on  shore,  had  lain  down  in  his  state-room,  di 
rectly  under  the  part  of  the  deck  where  the  students 
stood. 

"  So  you  are  going  ashore  —  are  you  ?  "  continued 
he,  sharply. 

27 


314  RED    CROSS,    OR 

The  boys  who  had  hold  of  the  fall  ropes  belayed 
them  again.  Mr.  Fluxion  was  a  decided  person,  and 
the  idea  of  running  away  before  his  eyes  did  not  occur 
to  them.  They  retreated  from  the  spot,  and  looked  as 
sheepish  as  though  they  had  been  caught  in  the  act  of 
stealing  chickens.  He  ordered  one  of  the  conspirators 
to  throw  the  coats  out  of  the  boat,  and  drove  them  all 
below. 

"  Our  game  is  up  !  "  said  Wilton,  when  they  reached 
the  steerage. 

"  I  had  no  idea  Fluxion  was  on  board,"  replied 
Perth. 

"  No  matter ;  our  time  will  come,"  added  Wilton. 
"  I  won't  give  it  up  yet." 

"  Nor  I.  Fluxion  has  no  idea  what  we  were  going 
to  do." 

"What  were  you  going  to  do?"  asked  Murdock, 
who  had  mingled  with  the  conspirators. 

"  We  were  going  on  shore  to  ask  the  town-pump 
where  you  got  twenty  pounds,"  answered  Wilton. 

"  I  haven't  got  any  twenty  pounds.  I  was  fooling 
you,"  said  Murdock,  fearful  that  he  might  have  injured 
himself  by  his  generous  offer. 

The  conspirators  kept  their  own  counsel  better  than 
conspirators  usually  do,  and  Murdock  was  none  the 
wiser  for  anything  he  had  heard.  When  Mr.  Low- 
ington  came  on  board  with  the  ship's  company,  the 
irregular  proceedings  of  the  twenty-six  students  under 
going  punishment  were  reported  to  him,  and  they 
were  at  once  summoned  to  the  tribunal  at  the  main 
mast  for  discipline.  Murdock  hung  back,  for  he  did 
not  regard  himself  as  one  of  the  guilty  party  ;  but 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND   WALES.      315 

Mr.  Fluxion  ordered  him  to  toe  the  mark  with  the 
others. 

"  I  was  not  going  in  the  boat,"  pleaded  he. 

"  You  were  standing  by,  talking  to  Wilton,  when  I 
came  on  deck,"  said  Mr.  Fluxion. 

"  But  I  wasn't  going  in  the  boat,  and  I  didn't  know 
anything  about  it  till  I  saw  them  together." 

"Was  Murdock  going  with  you,  Wilton?"  asked 
Mr.  Lowington. 

"  No,  sir." 

"•  That  will  do,  Murdock  ;  you  may  go,"  added  the 
principal. 

"  He  offered  me  twenty  pounds  to  let  him  go  with 
us,"  added  Wilton,  maliciously. 

"  Twenty  pounds  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Lowington,  a 
large  gleam  of  light  flashing  into  his  mind. 

"  I  was  only  funning,  sir  ;  I  have  no  twenty  pounds," 
interposed  the  new  hand,  aghast  at  this  revelation. 

It  was  not  necessary  to  settle  the  matter  then,  but 
Murdock's  offer  of  twenty  pounds  was  the  most  im 
portant  part  of  the  whole  transaction,  for  it  was  the 
key  to  much  that  had  not  yet  been  explained.  The 
attempt  of  Wilton  and  his  party  to  go  on  shore  with* 
out  permission  was  simply  an  act  of  disobedience, 
which  could  be  easily  atoned  for,  and  which  was  to 
be  expected  from  such  boys  as  they  were.  It  sug 
gested  that  so  many  of  the  students  should  not  be 
left  on  board  without  some  one  to  take  charge  of 
them,  and  Mr.  Fluxion's  sick  headache  proved  to  be 
a  fortunate  event.  The  six  and  twenty  culprits  were 
duly  lectui-ed  for  their  misconduct,  and  sentenced  to 
be  deprived  of  three  days'  liberty  on  shore,  under  the 


316  RED    CROSS,    OR 

impression  of  the  principal  that  they  only  meant  to 
visit  the  town  in  the  boat,  and  return  at  night.  Of 
course  no  one  outside  of  the  order  of  the  Knights 
had  the  remotest  suspicion  that  they  intended  to 
capture  the  Josephine,  and  run  away  to  sea  in  her. 

As  soon  as  supper  had  been  disposed  of,  the  pilots 
came  on  board  of  the  vessels,  and  they  sailed  for  Lon 
don.  That  evening  the  principal  had  another  long 
talk  with  Murdock,  who  still  denied  that  he  was  in 
earnest  when  he  offered  twenty  pounds  for  a  passage 
to  the  shore  ;  and  the  young  rascal  felt  that  it  would 
have  been  better  for  him  to  give  fifty  pounds  than 
remain  on  board  any  longer.  He  was  so  artful  and 
so  persistent  in  his  denial  that  Mr.  Lowington  was 
unable  to  satisfy  himself  in  regard  to  the  guilt  of  the 
suspected  student ;  but  his  impression  was  stronger 
than  before  that  he  was  the  robber  of  the  safe. 

Thus  far  the  plan  to  run  away  with  the  Josephine 
was  a  failure  ;  but  the  conspirators  were  fully  prepared 
to  carry  out  their  purpose  as  soon  as  the  circumstances 
would  permit.  On  the  passage  to  the  Thames,  the 
Red  Cross  Knights  were  cautioned  to  be  extremely 
careful,  and  never  to  speak  of  the  affairs  of  the  order, 
and  especially  of  the  grand  scheme,  where  there 
was  the  slightest  possibility  of  being  overheard. 
Nothing  was  to  be  said  in  the  steerage  or  on  deck ; 
only  when  aloft,  or  out  on  the  bowsprit,  were  the 
Knights  allowed  to  allude  to  the  business  of  the  asso 
ciation.  This  intense  secrecy  rendered  the  affair  all 
the  more  exciting  and  fascinating. 

Wilton's  trials  were  not  over  when  the  principal 
had  dismissed  him,  for  the  chaplain,  fearful  of  the 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        317 

safety  of  his  young  lamb,  lectured  him  for  half  an 
hour  on  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  disobedience  in 
general,  and  of  his  own  disobedience  in  particular.  If 
the  conspirator  had  had  even  an  apology  for  a  heart,  he 
would  have  been  touched  by  the  earnest  and  faithful 
efforts  of  the  simple-minded  but  thoroughly  good  and 
pious  man.  He  was  no  match  for  the  cunning  of  an 
unprincipled  student,  but  he  was  so  gentle,  tender,  and 
loving,  so  truly  earnest  and  Christian  in  his  desire  to 
promote  the  moral  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  stu 
dents,  that,  with  few  exceptions,  they  honored  and 
respected  him,  while  they  smiled  at  his  simplicity. 

The  wind  was  light  from  the  south-west  all  night, 
and  the  squadron  was  off  Beachy  Head  at  seven  bells 
in  the  morning ;  but  it  breezed  up  fresh  in  the  fore 
noon,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  vessels  passed  within 
a  few  miles  of  Folkestone  and  Dover.  These  places 
are  the  points  from  which  the  steamers  start  for 
France,  in  the  two  principal  lines  between  London 
and  Paris.  The  time  by  either  of  these  routes  is  about 
ten  hours.  The  sea  passage  from  Folkestone  to 
Boulogne  is  only  two  hours ;  from  Dover  to  Calais, 
one  hour  and  a  half.  The  steamers  of  the  latter  line 
leave  at  uniform  hours  through  the  season,  while  those 
of  the  former  leave  only  at  high  tide. 

As  the  vessels  sailed  up  the  Straits,  one  of  the 
steamers  of  the  Folkestone  line  came  out  of  the  har 
bor,  Beaded  for  Boulogne.  She  was  a  small,  "  one- 
horse"  affair  for  such  an  important  route,  and  the 
students  could  not  help  comparing  her  with  the  pala- 
tia1  steamers  which  ply  on  Long  Island  Sound.  They 
are  stanch,  strong,  and  weatherly  vessels ;  but  Ameri- 

27  * 


RED    CROSS,    OR 

can  enterprise  would  not  tolerate  such  insignificant 
boats  on  such  a  great  thoroughfare. 

The  vessels  continued  on  their  way  through  the 
Straits,  and  as  the  day  was  clear,  the  students  obtained 
a  distant  view  of  the  French  coast.  Ramsgate  and 
Margate,  popular  with  the  Londoners  as  watering- 
places,  were  passed,  and  about  dark  the  vessels 
reached  the  Nore  Light  Ship,  which  is  moored  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Thames.  Twenty  miles  farther  up  is 
Gravesend,  where  the  squadron  was  taken  in  tow  by 
a  couple  of  tugs,  and  at  midnight  came  to  anchor  oft' 
Greenwich  Hospital.  The  principal  had  decided 
to  lie  at  this  point,  rather  than  in  the  crowded  river 
above,  where  it  would  be  more  difficult  to  control  the 
students.  Greenwich  is  about  five  miles  below  Lon 
don  Bridge,  with  which  there  is  frequent  communica 
tion  by  railway  or  steamer. 

In  the  morning  the  rigging  of  both  vessels  was 
crowded  with  students  eager  to  view  the  surround 
ings.  They  gazed  with  wonder  and  admiration  at 
the  lofty  piles  of  buildings  composing  the  Hospital, 
and  watched  the  strange  craft  which  went  up  and 
down  the  river.  In  the  forenoon,  while  the  students 
were  attending  to  their  lessons,  the  head  steward  of 
the  ship  was  sent  up  to  London  to  procure  the  mail 
for  the  squadron. 

Among  his  letters,  Paul  found  one  from  Grace. 
She  had  been  with  her  father  to  T.  Wiggin  &  Co., 
and  ascertained  that  no  money  had  been  paid  to  C. 
Wilton,  but  there  was  a  credit  for  twenty  pounds  in 
his  favor,  and  another  for  the  same  amount  for  I. 
Monroe.  Grace,  in  accordance  with  her  instructions, 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND   AND    WALES.     319 

then  informed  Paul  that  McLeish  had  received  the 
twenty  pounds  from  Wilton,  who  falsely  alleged  that 
he  had  drawn  this  sum  at  the  bankers'  in  London. 

As  soon  as  the  recitations  were  finished,  Paul 
hastened  on  board  of  the  ship  with  his  letter. 

Peaks  was  ordered  to  commit  Wilton  to  the  brig, 
and  Captain  Kendall  returned  to  the  Josephine  to 
release  McLeish.  The  prisoner  was  brought  into  the 
cabin  to  receive  the  explanation  of  this  order. 

"  I  told  you  I  was  innocent,"  said  he,  triumphantly. 

"  But  you  were  not  innocent  so  long  as  you  con 
cealed  the  person  who  gave  you  the  bills,"  replied  the 
captain.  "  Your  confinement  in  the  brig  for  a  week 
was  perfectly  just,  and  you  may  thank  your  own  folly 
for  it.  Wilton  lied  to  you." 

,  "  It  is  not  possible  he  robbed  the  safe,  for  he 
was  no  in  the  Josephine  while  at  Holyhead." 

"  That  may  be,  but  the 'principal  has  the  means  of 
tracing  the  money." 

u  Wilton  cheated  me,  or  I  would  not  have  betrayed 
him,  even  to  the  young  lady,"  added  McLeish. 

"  So  far  you  have  done  well.  This  evening,  after 
the  students  return  from  the  shore,  you  will  go  on 
board  the  ship,  and  the  whole  affair  will  be  investi 
gated,"  said  Paul,  as  he  dismissed  the  prisoner. 

The  boats  were  all  ready,  and  immediately  pulled 
for  the  landing  stage  at  Greenwich.  The  principal 
object  of  interest  in  the  town  is  the  Hospital  for  Infirm 
Seamen.  It  contains  accommodations  for  twenty- 
seven  hundred  and  ten  persons,  all  of  whom  must  be 
seamen  or  royal  marines ;  and  here  some  of  the 
veterans  of  England's  great  naval  battles  may  be  seen. 


3-0  RED    CROSS,    OR 

The  buildings  composing  the  Hospital  are  arranged  so 
as  to  enclose  a  square.  The  site  was  formerly  occu 
pied  by  a  royal  palace,  in  which  Henry  VIII.  and 
Queen  Elizabeth  were  born  ;  but  in  the  reign  of  Wil 
liam  and  Mary  it  was  given  by  the  queen  as  a  hospital, 
after  the  naval  battle  of  La  Hogue,  when  no  suitable 
place  for  the  wounded  could  be  found. 

The  students  visited  the  Painted  Hall,  the  Chapel, 
and  the  Dormitory  ;  in  the  first  of  which  there  is  a 
large  collection  of  portraits  of  naval  heroes,  and  pic 
tures  of  naval  victories.  In  this  hall  the  body  of 
Nelson  lay  in  state  for  three  days.-  In  another  part  of 
the  building  the  coat  and  waistcoat  worn  by  him  at 
Trafalgar,  and  the  coat  in  .which  he  fought  the  battle 
of  the  Nile,  are  exhibited  in  a  glass  case.  The  pen 
sioners  wear  blue  frock-coats  with  brass  buttons,  and 
soft  hats.  They  are  entirely  provided  for  by  the  insti 
tution.  The  Greenwich  Observatory,  in  which  the 
Nautical  Almanacs  are  calculated,  is  also  located  here. 
On  one  of  its  towers  there  is  a  "  time  ball,"  five  feet 
in  diameter,  stuffed  with  cork,  which  is  let  fall  every 
day  at  one  o'clock,  to  enable  ships  to  regulate  their 
chronometers. 

The  town  of  Woolwich,  three  miles  distant,  was 
also  visited.  It  contains  a  dockyard,  which  is  claimed 
as  the  oldest  in  England,  and  the.  Royal  Arsenal, 
occupying  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  containing 
not  less  than  twenty-four  thousand  pieces  of  ordnance, 
and  immense  quantities  of  small  arms. 

"  Paul,  do  you  know  what  Greenwich  is  celebrated 
for,  besides  the  Hospital,  Park,  and  Observatory?" 
asked  the  doctor,  when  they  returned  to  the  landing- 
place. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.    321 

"  I  don't  know  ;  but  I  see  something  in  the  guide 
books  about  white  ba*it,  but  I  haven't  the  least  idea 
what  white  bait  is." 

"  It  is  a  celebrated  dish,  and  no  one  visits  Green 
wich  without  dining  on  white  bait.  We  will  try  it." 

They  entered  one  of  the  eating-houses  near  the 
landing  stage,  and  the  doctor  called  for  the  popular 
dish.  Presently  it  appeared,  and  the  host  enjoyed  the 
astonishment  of  Paul. 

"  Why,  it's  nothing  but  little  fishes  !  "  exclaimed 
Captain  Kendall,  as  the  waiter  placed  about  a  quart  of 
them  before  the  Americans. 

"  True,  but  they  are  a  dish  for  a  London  alderman." 

The  little  fish  were  white,  and  had  been  fried  in 
flour.  They  averaged  about  an  inch  in  length,  and 
lay  upon  the  dish  with  their  eyes  wide  open,  staring 
at  the  diners.  Thev  are  eaten  whole,  with  the  heads 
on,  entrails  and  fins  all  in  the  natural  state.  A  little 
lemon  juice  was  dropped  upon  them,  and  Dr.  Win- 
stock  declared  they  were  elegant.  Paul  was  not  fas 
cinated.  The  open  eyes  and  the  distended  stomachs 
were  objectionable  ;  but,  rather  to  please  the  surgeon 
than  himself,  he  tasted  of  them.  Certainly  the  flavor 
was  very  delicate,  and  with  a  little  more  practice  he 
would  probably  relish  them. 

After  the  experience  at  Cowes,  the  conspirators 
were  not  allowed  to  remain  on  board  without  some 
one  competent  to  take  charge  of  them,  and  Mr.  Fluxion 
was  left  to  keep  them  from  running  awav.  The  pro 
fessor  was  a  shrewd  man.  It  was  hard  work  for  boys 
to  get  ahead  of  him.  Without  seeming  to  watch  them, 
he  kept  one  eye  on  them  all  the  time.  It'was  plain  to 
him  that  those  left  in  his  charge  were  plotting  mis- 


332  RED    CROSS,    OR 

chief.  Their  earnest  conversation  in  the  tops  was  not 
without  a  purpose,  but  he  could  not  hear  anything, 
and  the  secrets  of  the  Red  Cross  were  not  opened  to 
him.  But  he  noticed  that  Murdock  was  not  with  them. 

The  new  hand  was  continually  dreading  an  explo 
sion.  The  plot  seemed  to  be  thickening  around  him 
all  the  time.  Wilton  had  just  been  committed  to  the 
brig,  and  he  heard  that  McLeish  had  been  released. 
It  was  hardly  safe  for  him  to  remain  in  the  ship 
another  day.  The  river  was  full  of  boats,  which 
frequently  came  alongside.  After  dark  he  might  drop 
down  on  the  bobstay  and  hail  one  of  them,  and  the 
boatman  for  a  consideration  would  set  him  ashore. 
He  determined  to  take  his  chance  that  very  evening. 

He  must  be  ready  to  leave  at  any  moment,  and  it 
was  necessary  once  more  to  procure  his  stolen  treasure 
in  the  hold.  This  was  an  easy  matter,  for  the  steerage 
was  empty,  and  he  went  below  for  this  purpose. 
About  this  time  Mr.  Fluxion  missed  him,  and  went 
down  through  the  cabin  to  ascertain  what  he  was 
doing.  As  he  opened  the  door  between  the  cabin 
and  the  steerage,  he  saw  the  scuttle  leading  to  the 
forward  store-rooms,  in  the  hold,  opened  by  some  one 
underneath.  He  stepped  into  one  of  the  mess-rooms, 
and  waited  for  further  developments.  When  Mur 
dock  came  up  with  the  money  in  his  pocket,  the< 
professor  seized  him  by  the  collar,  and  dragged  him 
into  the  cabin  without  the  slightest  ceremony. 

Murdock  protested  against  this  treatment,  but  he 
was  searched  on  the  spot.  The  eighty  pounds  was 
found  in  his  pocket,  and  he  was  tumbled  into  the  brig 
,vith  Wilton. 


YOUNG   AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.     323 


CHAPTER  XX. 

LONDON. FAREWELL   TO    ENGLAND. 

WHEN  the  principal  came  on  board,  Mr.  Fluxion 
made  his  report,  and  delivered  up  the  eighty 
pounds  he  had  taken  from  the  thief.  Murdock  and 
Wilton  had  made  an  effort  to  understand  each  other 
(luring  the  few  hours  they  had  spent  together  in  the 
brig ;  but  the  enmity  ran  so  high  between  them  that 
neither  of  them  obtained  any  satisfaction. 

After  supper,  Captain  Kendall,  with  McLeish,  came 
on  board,  and  Wilton  was  conducted  to  the  cabin  to 
be  put  "  upon  the  harrow,"  as  he  expressed  it.  Ac 
cording  to  his  usual  custom,  he  denied  everything. 

"  I  wouldn't  say  a  word,  sir,  if  he  hadn't  cheated 
me,"  said  McLeish,  when  called  upon  to  tell  his  story, 
"lie  gave  me  the  twenty  pounds  to  keep  for  him,  and 
then  wished  me  to  exchange  the  bills  for  gold." 

"  I  didn't  give  him  the  bills,  Mr.  Lowington.  He  is 
putting  it  on  me  to  get  his  own  head  out  of  the  halter," 
protested  Wilton. 

"You  did  not  give  him  the  bills?"  said  the  prin 
cipal. 

"No,  sir  ;  I  did  not;  and  he  knows  I  didn't." 

"  Did  Walton  tell  you,  McLeish,  where  he  obtained 


334  RED    CROSS,    OR 

the  twenty  pounds  in  bank  bills?"  asked  Mr.  Low- 
ington. 

"  He  did,  sir.  He  said  his  father  sent  him  a  bill 
for  twenty  pounds,  and  he  drew  the  money  of  T. 
Wiggin  &  Co." 

"  I  never  told  him  so  ;  he  is  making  it  all  up,  sir." 

"  Do  you  think  he  made  up  the  name  of  T.  Wiggin 
&  Co.,  well-known  bankers?"  asked  Mr.  Lowington. 

"  We  all  know  that  firm.  My  father  told  me,  before 
I  left  home,  if  I  wanted  any  more  money,  he  would 
send  it  to  me  through  T.  Wiggin  &  Co.,  and  I  sup 
pose  I  have  mentioned  the  name  twenty  times." 

"  You  have  funds  there  now,"  added  the  principal. 

"  I  didn't  know  it,  sir." 

"  Probably  there  is  a  letter  for  you  at  the  bankers'," 
added  the  principal,  who  comprehended  that  the  stu 
dent's  father  must  have  sent  a  bill  of  exchange  to  him. 

Mr.  Lowington  had  his  theorv.  He  was  satisfied 
that  McLeish  had  told  the  truth,  and  that  Wilton  was 
lying.  Mr.  Fluxion  had  handed  him  the  bills  taken 
from  Murdock.  without  specifying  the  amount,  and  he 
concluded  that  the  twenty  pounds  which  Wilton  had 
passed  to  McLeish  was  part  of  the  funds  from  the  safe. 
Therefore  he  sent  for  Murdock. 

"  It  is  plain  enough  now  that  you  are  the  person 
who  robbed  the  safe,"  continued  the  principal,  when 
Murdock  was  brought  before  him. 

It  was  plain  enough  to  the  culprit  also,  and  he  saw 
that  it  would  be  worse  than  folly  for  him  to  deny  it ;  so 
he  said  nothing. 

"  Did  you  give  any  of  the  money  to  Wilton  ?  "  asked 
the  principal. 

"  No,  sir  ;  none  from  the  safe,"  replied  the  new  hand. 


YOUNG   AMERICA   IN   ENGLAND   AND    WALES.      325 

"  I  gave  you  eighty  pounds,  Mr.  Lowington,"  in 
terposcd  Mr.  Fluxion. 

"  Then  of  course  the  twenty  pounds  was  no  part  of 
the  money  from  the  safe." 

"  I  haven't  used  a  penny  of  it,"  added  Murdock  ;  "  I 
only  took  it  for  fun,  and  didn't  mean  to  keep  it." 

"  We  don't  appreciate  that  description  of  amuse 
ment,"  said  the  principal,  dryly.  "  If  I  keep  you  in 
the  brig  a  month  for  fun,  you  will  see  that  there  is  as 
much  fun  in  the  one  as  the  other.  You  said  you  did 
not  give  Wilton  any  money  from  the  safe.  Did  you 
give  him  any  money  at  all?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  gave  him  twenty  pounds  which  I  had 
when  I  joined  the  ship,"  replied  Murdock. 

Wilton  opened  his  eyes  and  puckered  his  lips  with 
an  expression  of  astonishment  which  would  have 
staggered  persons  less  experienced  than  the  principal 
and  the  professor  of  mathematics. 

"  That's  an  awful  lie,  sir.  I  had  some  disagreement 
with  Murdock,  and  he  is  down  upon  me,"  said  he. 

"  We  had  no  disagreement  except  about  this  matter  of 
taking  my  money  and  not  giving  it  back  to  me,"  added 
the  new  hand,  who  then  described  the  interview  be 
tween  himself  and  Wilton,  when  he  had  given  the 
money  to  him. 

"  I  suppose  I  may  as  well  give  it  up,  if  Murdock  and 
McLeish  both  intend  to  lie  me  down,"  growled  Wilton. 
"  I  have  tried  to  reform,  and  do  my  duty  ;  but  it's  no 
use  if  the  worst  fellows  are  to  be  believed  against  me." 

"Won't  you   please  to  read  that  letter,  sir?"  said 
Murdock,  handing  the  principal  one  he  had  received, 
by  the  last  mail,  from  his  father. 
28 


326  RED    CROSS,    OR 

The  new  hand  had  actually  written  to  his  father  for 
the  numbers  of  the  Bank  of  England  notes  paid  to  him 
for  his  last  monthly  allowance,  as  he  told  Wilton  he 
had  done  ;  but  he  did  not  write  till  after  he  had  told 
him.  He  had  taken  this  step  in  hope  of  scaring  the 
keeper  of  his  funds  into  giving  them  up. 

"  These  are  the  numbers  of  the  notes  your  father 
paid  you  in  July  —  are  they?"  asked  Mr.  Lowington. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Thirty-three  thousand  eight  hundred  and  one  to 
four,"  added  the  principal,  reading  from  the  letter. 

"  Those  are  the  numbers  Pelham  took  in  Bristol," 
said  Paul,  taking  from  his  pocket-book  the  paper  the 
second  master  had  given  him. 

"  Wilton,  both  the  statements  of  Murdock  and 
McLeish  are  proved,"  said  the  principal,  after  some 
reflection.  "  No  better  evidence  could  be  asked." 

"  That  letter  of  Murdock's  was  got  up  for  the  occa 
sion,"  said  Wilton,  cast  down,  but  not  quite  destroyed. 

"No  boy  wrote  this  letter,  which  is  post-marked 
Manchester.  Wilton,  you  are  a  hypocrite  as  well  as  a 
knave,"  continued  Mr.  Lowington,  sternly.  "  It  is 
proved  that  you  robbed  one  of  your  shipmates." 

"  If  he  hadn't  done  it,  I  shouldn't  have  touched  th£ 
safe,"  added  Murdock. 

"  I  thought  you  did  it  for  fun." 

"  So  I  did,  sir.  I  went  into  the  Josephine's  cabin, 
and  then  into  the  captain's  state-room.  I  saw  the  safe 
with  the  key  in  it,  and  I  couldn't  help  opening  it." 

"  You  found  the  key  in  the  safe  !  "  exclaimed  Paul. 

"  I  did." 

"  How  came  it  in  my  coat  pocket?" 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.        327 

"  I  put  it  there,  and  put  the  coat  on  the  cabin  table, 
so  as  to  make  you  think  you  left  it  there  yourself.  I 
only  did  it  for  the  fun  of  the  thing." 

"  Do  you  think  there  would  be  any  fun  in  being  sent 
back  to  Holyhead,  where  the  crime  was  committed, 
and  being  tried  by  the  court  and  sent  to  prison  for  six 
months  or  a  year?"  demanded  the  principal. 

"  I  don't  think  there  would,"  replied  Murdock, 
alarmed  at  such  an  array  of  terrors. 

Both  of  the  culprits  were  sent  back  to  the  brig.  Mr. 
Lowington  wrote  immediately  to  Murdock's  father, 
informing  him  of  the  crime  his  son  had  committed, 
and  that  he  was  confined  in  the  brig.  The  next  day 
was  Sunday,'  and  the  chaplain  spent  two  hours  in  the 
brig  with  the  prisoners.  Wilton  professed  to  be 
penitent,  and  acknowledged  his  error  when  it  was  no 
longer  possible  for  him  to  deny  it ;  but  he  persisted 
that  he  had  changed  the  bills  for  gold  with  the  inten 
tion  of  giving  the  money  to  the  poor,  as  he  had  agreed 
with  Murdock.  He  wanted  to  get  out  so  as  to  ex 
ecute  the  grand  purpose  of  the  Red  Cross  Knights. 

Although  McLeish  had  no  claim  to  sympathy  on 
account  of  his  confinement  in  the  brig,  he  obtained  no 
little  credit  among  the  students  for  refusing  to  divulge 
the  name  of  Wilton  ;  and  when  it  was  proved  that  he 
was  not  guilty  of  the  robbery,  he  rose  highly  in  the 
estimation  of  the  officers.  He  was  treated  with  much 
consideration  by  the  captain,  who  wished  to  encourage 
him  to  do  well.  In  spite  of  the  drawbacks  which  had 
disturbed  him,  he  continued  to  persevere  in  his  efforts 
to  do  well.  Of  course  he  succeeded  just  in  proportion 
to  his  endeavors.  The  help  he  needed  was  never 


328  RED   CROSS,    OR 

wanting.  Grace  Arbuckle  visited  the  Josephine  while 
she  lay  at  Greenwich,  and  her  influence  was  more 
powerful  than  that  of  all  others  combined. 

During  the  succeeding  week  the  ship's  company 
who  were  entitled  to  liberty  on  shore  visited  London 
every  afternoon,  and  saw  the  principal  objects  of  in 
terest,  though  a  month  is  little  time  enough  to  be 
come  familiar  with  the  city.  A  full  description,  even 
of  what  the  students  saw,  would  require  a  volume, 
and  only  a  few  extracts  from  a  letter  of  Paul  Kendall 
to  his  mother  can  be  given.  It  was  finished  the  day 
the  Josephine  sailed  for  Hull. 

"  MY  DEAR  MOTHER  :  We  are  in  London  at  last, 
and  I  have  seen  just  enough  of  the  metropolis  of  the 
world  to  make  me  wish  to  see  more ;  and  some  time 
I  mean  to  spend  a  month  in  the  city.  On  Monday 
morning  we  went  up  to  the  city,  for  the  first  time,  in  a 
little  steamer.  There  are  hundreds  of  them  running 
up  and  down  the  muddy  Thames.  They  are  very 
smart  boats,  and  they  handle  them  with  great  skill. 
Instead  of  having  bells  to  direct  the  engineer,  there  is 
a  small  boy  on  the  main  deck,  who  communicates  the 
orders  from  the  captain  on  one  of  the  paddle-boxes. 
The  steersman  stands  on  a  raised  platform  at  the 
stern.  The  captain  moves  his  hands  as  signals  for  the 
boy,  who  interprets  them  for  the  engineer,  in  the  fun 
niest  language  I  ever  heard.  '  Ayse  air,'  he  sings, 
which  means,  ease  her  ;  '  sto'  pair '  (stop  her)  ;  '  back 
hair'  (back  her)  ;  '  star*  tair'  (start  her). 

"  We  landed  at  a  floating  stage,  just  above  London 
Bridge  —  famous  London  Bridge  !  It  is  wide  enough 
for  four  vehicles  to  go  abreast,  and  it  is  always  so 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.     329 

crowded  that  there  are  two  continuous  lines  of  them 
going  each  way.  In  one  line  the  horses  trot,  and  in 
the  other  they  walk.  Policemen  stand  in  the  roadway 
to  make  the  drivers  move  along  and  take  the  right 
line,  as  they  wish  to  walk  or  trot.  We  went  up  King 
William  Street,  passed  the  Monument  built  to  com 
memorate  the  great  fire,  which  is  two  hundred  and 
two  feet  high,  and  two  hundred  and  two  feet  from  the 
place  in  Pudding  Lane  where  the  fire  broke  out.  We 
went  into  the  Bank  of  England,  which  is  a  low-look 
ing  building,  though  it  covers  a  large  area  ;  into  the 
Exchange,  the  General  Post-office  in  St.  Martin's-le- 
Grand,  and  then  to  St.  Paul's  Cathedral.  This  is  a 
big  church,  and  very  grand  in  its  proportions,  but  it 
is  as  black  as  charcoal.  Dr.  Winstock  and  I  went  all 
over  the  building,  even  to  the  ball,  three  hundred  and 
sixty  feet  high,  and  into  the  crypt,  where  Nelson  and 
the  Duke  of  Wellington  are  buried.  The  funeral  car 
of  the  Iron  Duke  is  kept  in  this  place,  and  is  a  very 
showy  and  costly  affair.  The  main  floor  and  the 
vaults  are  full  of  tablets  and  sculptures  in  honor  of 
great  men.  I  bought  the  pamphlet  guide  to  the  Ca 
thedral,  which  contains  a  full  account  of  the  building, 
with  pictures  of  the  more  important  monuments.  L 
costs  three  and  two-pence  to  go  all  over  the  building  ; 
and  the  idea  of  making  a  show  of  a  church  don't  seem 
to  be  just  the  thing. 

"  From  St.  Paul's  we  vent  to  the  Tower  of  London, 
which  is  very  interesting  indeed.  We  paid  sixpence 
for  admission  ;  and  as  soon  as  a  party  of  a  dozen  had 
gathered,  one  of  the  heralds  (who  are  old  soldiers, 
dressed  in  antique  costume)  conducted  us  through  the 
28* 


330  RED    CROSS,    OR 

various  towers  and  apartments.  The  Tower  is  the 
greatest  thing  I  have  yet  seen  ;  it  is  full  of  ancient 
armor,  old  cannon,  and  specimens  of  weapons.  On 
the  walls  and  ceilings  of  some  of  the  rooms  the  most 
fantastic  designs  are  wrought  of  guns,  pistols,  swords, 
daggers,  or  parts  of  them.  A  couple  of  serpents  are 
made  in  this  way,  so  that  they  look  quite  natural.  We 
saw  the  dungeons  where  kings,  queens,  princes,  and 
other  persons  had  been  confined,  and  the  block  on 
which  some  of  them  had  been  executed.  In  a  small, 
dingy  room,  the  crown  jewels,  worth  three  millions 
of  pounds,  including  the  crown  of  the  queen,  of  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  and  a  lot  of  sceptres. 

"  We  finished  the  first  day  in  London  by  visiting  the 
Thames  Tunnel,  which  is  a  gigantic  failure,  without  a  ' 
doubt,  though  it  shows  what  man  can  do.  It  cost  an 
immense  sum  of  money,  but  it  can  only  be  used  for 
foot  passengers.  You  have  to  go  down  a  lot  of  stairs 
to  get  to  it.  There  are  two  roadways,  but  one  of  them 
was  closed  up.  The  other  was  lighted  with  gas,  and 
there  were  plenty  of  stands  in  the  niches  for  the  sale 
of  all  sorts  of  trinkets  and  fancy  goods.  The  toll  is 
two-pence. 

"  On  Tuesday  we  went  out  to  Windsor  Castle,  where 
Queen  Victoria  resides  most  of  the  time.  We  first 
went  into  St.  George's  Chapel,  which  contains  the 
stalls  of  the  Knights  of  the  Garter,  who  are  installed 
in  this  building,  and  the  royal  vaults,  in  which  many 
of  the  kings  and  queens,  including  Henry  VIII., 
Charles  I.,  George  III.,  George  IV.,  William  IV., 
Jane  Seymour,  Queen  Charlotte,  and  Queen  Adelaide 
are  buried.  We  went  through  the  state  apartments, 
which  are  magnificent,  adorned  with  paintings  and 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.     331 

sculpture.  As  the  queen  had  gone  to  Germany  to. 
visit  her  country  cousins,  we  obtained  a  special  order 
froin  the  lord  chamberlain  to  see  the  private  apart 
ments  of  her  majesty,  where  she  eats,  drinks,  and 
sleeps,  and  has  the  headache,  as  common  people  do. 
Everything  was  as  splendid  as  it  could  be  ;  but,  mother, 
I  don't  see  the  use  of  it  all.  Of  couVse  the  poor  peo 
ple  have  to  pay  the  fiddler  when  the  queen  dances. 
She  is  a  very  good  woman,  but  it  seems  to  me  it  costs 
too  much  money  to  support  her. 

"  On  Wednesday  we  went  to  the  British  Museum, 
which  is  such  an  immense  establishment  we  could  only 
walk  through  without  stopping  to  look  long  at  anything. 

"  On  Thursday  we  took  a  stroll  through  Hyde  Park, 
Green  Park,  and  St.  James's  Park,  with  outside  views 
of  Buckingham  and  St.  James's  Palaces.  We  also 
went  to  Kensington  Museum,  which  contains  a  vast 
collection  of  articles  connected  with  the  useful  and  the 
ornamental.  There  were  paintings  by  Landseer,  Rosa 
Bonheur,  and  others.  There  were  some  splendid 
models  of  men-of-war,  steamers,  and  boats.  In  one 
of  the  patent  rooms  I  saw  the  first  locomotive  ever 
built,  the  Rocket,  constructed  by  Stevenson. 

"  On  Friday  we  went  out  to  Sydenham,  to  which 
the  Crystal  Palace,  used  for  the  World's  Fair  in  Lon 
don,  was  removed.  At  each  end  of  it  there  is  a  tower 
two  hundred  and  eighty-two  feet  high.  I  don't  like 
to  overdo  anything,  mother,  but  I  haven't  the  least 
hesitation  in  saying,  in  my  sober  senses,  that  a  visit  to 
the  Crystal  Palace  at  Sydenham  is  worth  the  trouble 
of  crossing  the  Atlantic,  even  if  the  person  is  very 
seasick.  We  walked  for  hours  through  its  floors  and 
galleries,  without  examining  a  tenth  part  of  what  it 


332  RED    CROSS,    OR 

contains.  We  passed  through  courts  got  up  in  imita 
tion  of  Grecian,  Roman,  Assyrian,  Pompeian,  and 
Egyptian  houses,  which  were  adorned  with  statues  and 
other  sculptures.  There  are  copies  here  of  many  of 
the  most  celebrated  works  of  art.  In  one  part  there 
are  tropical  gardens,  with  plants  and  even  tall  trees 
growing ;  in  another,  models  of  ships,  bridges,  ma 
chinery,  and  specimens  of  the  animal,  vegetable,  and 
mineral  productions  of  all  countries.  The  gardens  in 
front  of  the  palace  are  magnificent,  with  statues,  grot 
tos,  fountains,  and  flower-gardens  in  great  profusion. 

"  On  Saturday  we  wtent  to  the  Palace  of  Westmin 
ster,  which  is  the  Parliament  House.  It  is  open  to 
visitors  only  on  Saturdays,  and  even  then  one  cannot 
get  into  the  House  of  Lords  without  a  ticket  from  the 
grand  chamberlain.  I  suppose  you  will  think  we 
had  to  call  upon  some  duke  or  lord,  and  humbly  beg 
permission  to  see  the  palace ;  but  we  didn't,  for  there 
was  a  score  of  loafers  around  the  building  who  had 
handfuls  of  these  tickets,  which  they  sell  for  sixpence 
apiece,  though  on  them  is  printed,  "  It  is  particularly 
requested  that  no  payment  be  made  to  any  person  on 
account  of  this  ticket."  We  entered  at  the  Victoria 
Tower,  where  her  majesty  goes  in,  passed  through  the 
House  of  Lords,  which  is  a  splendid  room  ;  but  it  is 
only  ninety  feet  long  and  forty-five  feet  wide.  The 
House  of  Commons  is  smaller  than  this,  and  a  much 
plainer  apartment.  We  left  by  St.  Stephen's  Hall, 
which  is  adorned  with  statues  of  eminent  British 
statesmen  —  Hampden,  Pitt,  Burke,  Fox,  and  others. 

"We  walked  through  Westminster  Abbey,  entering 
at  the  Poets'  Corner,  where  there  are  busts,  tablets, 
and  sculptures  in  honor  of  all  the  most  noted  poets 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AXD    WALES.      333 

of  England.  The  nave,  transepts,  choir,  and  several 
chapels  are  filled  with  monuments  to  great  men, 
kings,  queens,  princes,  and  nobles.  The  Abbey  is 
very  old,  and  contains  the  tombs  of  kings  who  reigned 
nearly  a  thousand  years  ago.  I  almost  held  my  breath 
when  I  stood  by  these  monuments  crumbling  with  age. 
The  sovereigns  of  England  are  crowned  here,  and  I 
sat  down  in  the  chair  which  twenty-two  of  them  had 
occupied  when  the  crown  was  placed  upon  their  heads 
—  but  I  speak  to  common  people  as  usual ! 

u  That  evening  I  went  with  Dr.  Winstock  to  see 
Madame  Tussaud's  collection  of  wax  figures  of  dis 
tinguished  characters.  I  never  thought  much  of  '  wax 
figgers  '  before  ;  but,  as  the  school  girls  say,  this  was 
perfectlv  splendid,  and  as  natural  as  life  itself.  I  sat 
down  by  the  side  of  an  old  gentleman,  as  I  thought. 
He  kept  very  still,  and  did  not  pick  my  pocket,  so  that 
I  did  not  discover  till  I  got  up  that  he  was  a  '  figgcr.' 
I  was  just  going  to  beg  pardon  of  an  old  lady  for 
brushing  against  her,  when  I  saw  a  label  informing 
me  that  it  was  a  very  correct  likeness  of  Madame 
Tussaud  herself.  Some  extraordinary  curiosities  are 
exhibited  here,  and  are  vouched  for  by  letters  in  the 
catalogue  as  genuine,  such  as  Napoleon's  Waterloo 
carriage  ;  the  camp  bedstead  used  by  the  emperor  at 
St.  Helena  ;  the  cradle  of  his  son,  the  King  of  Rome  ; 
the  carriage  in  which  Napoleon  made  the  campaign 
of  Russia  ;  the  one  he  used  at  St.  Helena  ;  various 
swords,  a  watch,  tooth-brush,  handkerchief,  and  other 
things  used  by  him  ;  the  coronation  robes  of  George 
IV.  ;  the  original  knife  from  the  guillotine  by  which 
twenty-two  thousand  persons  were  executed  in  the 
French  Revolution,  including  Marie  Antoinette,  the 


334  RED  CROSS,  OR 

Duke  of  Orleans,  and  Robespierre,  '  bought  by  the 
Alessrs.  Tussaud  of  the  grandson  of  the  original  execu 
tioner.'  The  Chamber  of  Horrors  contains  figures  of  all 
the  principal  criminals.  If  you  ever  visit  London,  moth 
er,  do  not  neglect  to  see  Madame  Tussaud's  exhibition. 

'*  On  Sunday  I  went  with  Professor  Stoute  to  Surrey 
Chapel  to  hear  Mr.  Spurgeon  preach.  His  church 
holds  about  six  thousand  people,  and  is  always  full. 
The  congregation  do  the  singing,  and  the  effect  of  so 
many  voices  was  grand.  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  a  stout 
man,  plain  spoken,  and  his  discourse  was  so  simple 
that  a  small  child  could  understand  him.  I  liked  him 
very  much  indeed. 

"  On  Monday  and  Tuesday  we  did  up  a  lot  of  odd 
places,  like  Lincoln's  Inn,  Smithfield,  the  Mint,  and 
Cremorne  Gardens.  I  have  been  up  and  down  the 
Thames  as  far  as  Chelsea  half  a  dozen  times.  Mr. 
Lowington  thinks  we  may  come  to  London  again. 
I  hope  so,  for  I  want  to  see  more  of  it. 

"  Give  my  love  to  everybody,  and  believe  me  ever 
"  Your  affectionate  son, 

"PAUL  KENDALL." 

After  Murdock  had  been  in  the  brig  three  clays,  his 
father,  in  a  flurry  of  excitement,  appeared  on  board  of 
the  ship.     He  insisted  on  seeing  Spenser  at  once,  and' 
was  conducted  to  the  steerage  by  the  principal. 

';  Poor  boy  !  "  exclaimed  he,  when  he  saw  the  new 
hand  through  the  pales.  u  This  is  an  outrage  upon  the 
boy,"  he  added,  turning  wrathfully  to  Mr.  Lowington. 

"  Perhaps  you  do  not  regard  it  as  an  outrage  for  a 
student  to  steal ;  but  we  think  it  a  greater  outrage  than 
the  ptmishinent,"  answered  the  principal,  with  dignity. 


YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    ENGLAND    AND    WALES.      335 

"  But,  my  clear  sir,  you  must  know  that  it  was 
merely  a  boyish  freak.  Boys  will  be  wild,  and  I  dare 
say  he  did  it  for  the  fun  and  excitement  of  the  thing," 
Baid  Mr.  Murdock,  impatiently. 

"  When  students,  we  punish  them  severely." 

"  How  long  has  the  poor  boy  been  in  this  cage?" 

"  Since  Saturday  night." 

"  Mercy  on  us  !  Three  whole  days  !  "  ejaculated  the 
indulgent  father.  "  Pray,  let  him  out  immediately." 

Peaks  appeared,  and  the  prisoner  was  released. 

Mr.  Murdock  protested  against  such  "  barbarity  " 
for  a  "  petty  offence,"  and  the  conference  was  ended 
by  the  discharge,  at  his  father's  request,  of  the  student. 
They  went  off'  together,  after  Spenser's  twenty  pounds 
had  been  given  to  him,  the  weak  parent  condoling  with 
his  son  for  the  "bad  treatment"  inflicted  upon  him. 
That  boy's  future  is  easily  predicted,  for  one  with  his 
tendencies  could  not  stand  such  stupid  indulgence. 

After  a  passage  of  thirty  hours  the  squadron  an 
chored  at  Hull,  from  which  the  students  made  an 
excursion  to  York,  and  explored  its  old  cathedral. 
The  ship  and  her  consort  sailed  for  Antwerp. 

On  board  of  the  Josephine  everything  worked  well; 
the  discipline  was  perfect,  and  even  McLeish  perse 
vered  in  carrying  out  his  good  intentions.  Paul's  last 
letter,  written  at  Hull,  to  Grace  Arbuckle,  was  very 
warm  in  its  commendation  of  her  penitent.  He  ap 
peared  to  be  reformed  ;  and  the  only  thing  which  vexed 
the  young  commander  was  the  fact  that  McLeish  wrote 
an  occasional  letter  to  the  young  lady,  though  it  is  dif 
ficult  to  see  why  he  should  be  vexed  at  such  a  trifle. 

Wilton  was  now  the  only  occupant  of  the  brig. 
When  the  Young  America  sailed  from  Hull,  he  called 


336  RED    CROSS. 

an  officer  and  requested  to  see  the  principal.  The  pris. 
oner  promised  so  fairly,  and  the  tender-hearted  chaplain 
pleaded  so  warmly  for  him,  that  he  was  set  at  liberty. 
Mr.  Lowington  knew  that  he  was  a  hypocrite,  and 
had  but  little  hope  of  his  reformation.  He  directed  all 
the  professors  and  officers  to  watch  him  closely,  what 
ever  pretensions  he  made  to  goodness  and  fidelity. 

The  Knights  of  the  Red  Cross  were  not  defunct, 
and  their  stupendous  secret  had  not  yet  leaked  out. 
On  the  very  night  of  Wilton's  release,  he  discussed 
the  whole  matter  of  the  intended  capture  of  the  Jose 
phine  with  Perth,  while  they  were  together  in  the 
main  top.  They  rearranged  their  plans,  for  the 
embryo  captain  of  the  consort  had  invented  a  new 
scheme  by  which  the  grand  purpose  was  to  be  ef 
fected  ;  and  we  may  add  that  their  talk  was  not 
wholly  in  vain,  for  the  Josephine  was  actually  takjen 
afterwards,  and  the  conspirators  went  to  sea  in  her. 

The  next  day  at  noon,  the  low  shores  of  Belgium 
were  seen  from  the  decks  of  the  squadron,  and  the 
students  were  filled  with  lively  anticipations  in  regard 
to  the  new  country  before  them.  England  did  not 
seem  like  a  foreign  land  to  them,  it  was  so  much 
like  their  own  country.  On  the  continent  they  ex 
pected  to  find  strange  sights  and  sounds,  for  there 
everything  was  different ;  their  mother  tongue  was 
not  the  language  of  the  people,  and  their  manners  and 
customs  were  not  those  of  England  or  the  United  States. 
They  were  not  disappointed  in  their  expectations ; 
but  what  they  saw  and  did,  what  incidents  occurred, 
and  what  adventures  they  had,  shall  be  told  in  DIKES 
AND  DITCHES,  OR  YOUNG  AMERICA  ix  HOLLAND 
AND  BELGIUM. 


This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last 
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